Dwayne Bravo's Retirement Speaks Volumes of the State of West Indies Cricket

Dwayne Bravo has retired from Test cricket at the tender age of 31 years. In a statement, he spoke of the “difficult time” cricket in the Caribbean is currently experiencing and reiterated his desire to represent the West Indies in the limited overs format.

As per ESPNCricinfo he said:

"

Today I am announcing my retirement from Test cricket. I have already informed the [West Indies Cricket Board] of this decision and also indicated my desire to continue to represent the West Indies in the shorter formats of the game.

Over the years, with the greatest enthusiasm, I have done my best with the deep awareness that I am ultimately representing the people of the game.

I recognise that this is a difficult time for all of us. Our people of the region have seen and enjoyed great cricketing days but we will not return to glory until we agree to go forward with our love for the game and the respect of the administrators, players and the public.

I have experienced the exhilarating joy of victory and the devastating pain of defeat. The joyous memories will remind me of what we are capable of achieving. I want to be part of that mission.

I thank the cricketing fraternity for their support and look forward to serving you with determination and the pride of being a West Indian.

"

Although Bravo has not played Test cricket since 2010, his retirement is significant and is yet another reminder about the current state of cricket in the West Indies. As an all-rounder, Bravo could have played a far more significant role in the Test team, if only the West Indies brain trust were more amenable.

Bravo's Test career was never remarkable. In 40 matches, he averaged 31.42 with the bat, scoring three hundreds and 13 fifties. His bowling was never really threatening, but he has showed enough promise in limited overs to make one wonder what could have been.  But the problem should not be laid squarely at the feet of the WICB.

In 2010, the year when he last played Test cricket, he averaged just 23.87, but managed two fifties in eight innings. He was just 26 at the time, the perfect age to shape a crickter's future. He was dropped after West Indies toured Sri Lanka in December that year and was never picked again. More tellingly, though, Bravo never did anything to encourage selectors to thinking differently, either.

Since being dropped from the Test squad almost five years ago, he has played just two first-class games. He has reiterated his desire to return to the Test squad on a number of occasions, most recently in April 2014. He was quoted by ThatsCricket.com as saying:

"

I must stress my disappointment of not playing Test cricket for the last four years. They got it wrong but there is nothing I can do about it. I just have to continue to play my game and show my hunger and desire to play Test cricket, and hopefully I will get the opportunity again.

"

Talk is cheap, though, and the simple fact is that rarely are players so talented that they get selected on limited overs form alone. Sure, Bravo is talented, and he can be a match winner, but he is not a prodigy, his international stats show that much. That is why it’s important to consider both sides of the coin.

But the question has to be asked: Why can Bravo not be bothered with doing the hard work in first-class cricket in order to get back into the Test side?

Money plays a big role, but so does the way the administrations handles its players. Before the Indian Premier League gets all the blame, let’s think about things a bit more carefully.

There are many great Test players who play in the IPL. South Africa’s Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis are just three examples. Australia’s David Warner and New Zealand’s Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum are other examples. It is possible for the IPL and the importance of Test cricket to both appeal to players. It is, however, up to the country’s administration to ensure that players know that they are valued if they play Tests.

Of course, WI cannot afford to pay their players the same salary that South Africa and Australia pay theirs, but New Zealand Cricket isn’t exactly swimming in money either.

It’s a case of bad management, and losing Bravo, a talented player, from the ultimate format of the game, especially at a time when West Indies cricket is degenerating into a shambles, is a great shame for the game as a whole.

He is an exciting and flamboyant player, an aggressive type of batsman shaped by the Twenty20 era, and he is exactly what they need.