-says Bryan Davis
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Darren Sammy’s removal as captain and subsequent retirement from Test cricket will pave the way for all-rounder Dwayne Bravo’s return to the squad, says former West Indies opener Bryan Davis.
Sammy, who led the Test squad for nearly four years, was axed on Friday in favour of wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin. The St Lucian all-rounder announced he was quitting the longer format later in the day.
“I think Dwayne has been unfairly left out for the last four years. He was injured and Sammy then took the decision that he would be the fast bowling all-rounder,” the Trinidad Guardian quoted Davis as saying.
“With the selectors not wanting to play two fast bowling all-rounders, Bravo had to stay out.
“Bravo’s record speaks for itself, he belongs on the West Indies team, he has shown that he can bat with three Test centuries and his bowling is penetrative, as he is now closing in on 100 wickets,” added said Davis, who played four Tests against Australia in 1965.
Sammy led West Indies in 30 of his 38 Tests, winning eight matches and losing 12, with eight finishing drawn. He made 1323 runs at 21.68, with a single Test century against England at Trent Bridge in 2012, and grabbed 84 wickets at 35 apiece.
Bravo, meanwhile, who replaced Sammy as one-day captain last May, has scored 2200 runs from 40 Tests at an average of 31 with three centuries. He has taken 86 wickets at an average of nearly 40.
And while Bravo has not played a Test in three-and-a-half years, Davis believes this is where the strength of his game remains.
“He has been playing a lot of T20 cricket but I think that he is actually a better Test bowler,” Davis contended.
“He is not his best when bowling defensively. With his ability to move the ball, I think he can be very penetrative in Test matches.”
