DELHI, India, CMC – Darren Bravo wants to make a name for himself at the World Cup in the hope of ending comparisons with Trinidad & Tobago and West Indies batting legend Brian Lara.
The 22-year-old left-hander, the younger brother of West Indies all-rounder and vice captain Dwayne Bravo, has a batting style that bears remarkable resemblance with Lara’s.
Bravo’s mother is Lara’s first cousin, and he may or may not find the comparisons with his fellow T&T and West Indies left-hander flattering.
But Bravo indicated that he has benefitted from being around Lara, his mentor in his formative year, and hopes to emulate his appetite for runs.
“Brian was always my role model and hopefully I can get some inspiration from him,” he said.
“Maybe it’s just the natural way of my batting. Currently my favourite batsman is Sachin Tendulkar. The way he plans an innings is really special to see.”
Bravo also disclosed that his elder brother has also been a major influence on him.
“He has played in all different formats of the game, in all different parts of the World, and he always gives me encouragement,” said the younger Bravo.
“He works out a game plan quite nicely, and he tends to make it a bit easy for me, and I really appreciate that. Dwayne is always willing to give me 100 per cent support, and I can’t ask for anything but that.”
The younger Bravo is still trying to come to grips with being a member of the West Indies team for the prestigious tournament.
“This is my first World Cup, and I’m really excited to be here as part of the team,” he said. “This is a dream for me and I’m looking forward to it in a big way.
“There’s a lot of hype, a lot of advertising around. Anywhere you pass, you can see a World Cup poster. It’s always reflecting in your mind that this is a really big tournament. This is one stage where you really want to perform and make the World recognise you.”
He added: “Each team is going to play competitive cricket. It doesn’t matter where you are in the rankings. Momentum will carry you through the tournament.
“As long as we keep playing together, keep believing in one another, I’m sure we are going to give a good account of ourselves and make people back home very proud. We are confident of doing well and this is a chance for us to bring back the joy for the West Indies fans.”