West Indies' exciting new talent Bravo wants to be the best

These pictures show West Indies bowler Dwayne
Bravo diving to the ground as he takes a spectacular
catch off his own bowling to dismiss Australian
batsman Shane Warne for no runs during the third and
final cricket Test in Adelaide, 27 November 2005.
AFP PHOTO/Greg WOOD 

Monday,  November 28, 2005

ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP): West Indian Dwayne Bravo says he wants to be known as one of the game's best all-rounders after taking 6-84 in the third cricket Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval on Sunday. 

The exciting 22-year-old Trinidad all-rounder looked an immense talent coming off his second innings 113 in the second Hobart Test to star with the ball on Sunday. 

When they talk of all-rounders in the West Indies, the name of Gary Sobers springs immediately to mind and Bravo said he wanted to emulate the great man. 

Bravo said Sobers was in a league by himself, but expressed a desire to grow into that calibre of player one day. 

"I don't think I or any all-rounder could be classed as good as Sir Gary, but one thing is you know he's from West Indies and he's played a big role, he's always there for us and I would love to one day be in his shoes," Bravo said. 

"I want to be mentioned as among the best all-rounders who have ever played the game." 

Bravo's idol is batting superstar Brian Lara, who on Saturday became the greatest run-scorer in Test cricket during his innings of 226 in the Adelaide Test. 

Lara, Bravo and their families have always had a strong relationship based on close proximity - living just "five minutes away from each other" in Trinidad. 

"I was five or six when I met Brian, my dad and his dad used to work together and also played cricket together," he said. 

"My dad used to bowl to him and I would heckle but we all got along well.

"The team now depends on Brian a lot but there's other guys in the team looking to do their best."

Bravo took three wickets in 17 balls to trigger an Australian middle-order collapse on Sunday.

"This morning I got up feeling something spectacular was going to happen today and I got the ball to do what I wanted to get six wickets against the best team in the world," Bravo said.

Bravo put the skids under the home team claiming the wickets of Andrew Symonds (9), Adam Gilchrist (6) and Shane Warne (0).

He took an absolute screamer of a catch to dismiss Warne for a duck.

Warne's mis-hit flew to Bravo's left, and his diving catch was a wondrous effort that sent the West Indies team into raptures.

"Taking that catch to get my fifth wicket I couldn't think of a better way," Bravo said.

  Back...

  Most popular articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed

  Printable version