Dear Editor,
Darren Bravo has again been excluded from a West Indian ODI team. There is no reason to doubt that his exclusion is a result of the tweet he made on learning of his demotion, for purposes of remuneration, in the regional team. In his tweet he was rude, perhaps even abusive, of the President of the WICB. It is clear that his tweet was the product of anger, that was, at least, in part, caused by what he believed to have been the President`s confusion as to the category in which he was at the time the decision was made. It is also a fair inference that Bravo has not made a satisfactory apology to the President or to the WICB.
In deciding what is an appropriate punishment for Bravo’s offence it is not only fair, but customary, to examine other statements he has made or actions he has taken that would provide a fuller assessment of his character. One rather notable piece of evidence about Darren’s character that is obviously very relevant is the decision taken some time ago by Darren to reject opportunities, likely lucrative, to play the shortest form of the game (20 over cricket) in order to concentrate his attention on the longer forms of the game (50 overs and 5 day games) in which the West Indies team’s performance was worst, and which were considered more prestigious from the region’s perspective. It is relatively easy to pass judgment when the person being judged is of unambiguously bad character and the conduct involved is clearly abhorrent. Few cases, however, fall into those categories. Here the WICB is called upon to make the kind of decision that requires the assessment of the angry outburst of a young man who has, in the past, demonstrated an exceptional willingness to sacrifice his personal financial and indeed emotional interests for the benefit of region.
It is not insignificant, also, that the region, for any number of reasons, has a limited supply of quality players, and Darren who boasts an overall test batting average of 40.00, with an excellent average of 51.18 abroad, and is likely the best batsman in the region that has a really painful recent record of poor performances.
It cannot be in the best interests of West Indies cricket to persist in the exclusion of Darren Bravo.
Yours faithfully,
Romain Pitt
