BUBBLY all-rounder Dwayne Bravo wants back his place in the West Indies cricket team in all formats of the game.
Bravo, 28, suffered a loss of form last year and took a break from the game, but after playing a significant role in helping Trinidad and Tobago to repeat as Caribbean T20 champions, he is hoping to don the maroon cap again.
“My No.1 priority is to play Test cricket. I have a lot to achieve in Test cricket. I’m 14 wickets away from a hundred Test wickets. I lot of people never achieved thatt. That is something high on my list and I’m looking forward to it,” Bravo told Nationsport in an interview last Sunday night at Kensington Oval.
In 40 Tests, Bravo has taken 86 wickets at 39.83 apiece and scored 2 200 at an average of 31.42. He has also appeared in 117 One-Day Internationals.
“I always want to play for the West Indies.
West Indies is my team. It is the team I really want to play for,” he added.
“Unfortunately in 2011, things didn’t go my way but I have no control over that. I’m looking forward to 2012. There is a Twenty20 World Cup in September. Hopefully, I could be in the squad, and be a part of a young team that might go to Sri Lanka and do well,” he noted.
The former Windies vice-captain said he would be playing at least three matches in the upcoming regional first-class season, after securing a contract to play in Bangladesh’s inaugural Premier League Twenty20.
“I will be taking part in it. I will be playing the first game against CCC (Combined Campuses and Colleges) in Barbados (starting Friday), and then I will come back and play the last two rounds,” he said.
“Obviously, if I do well in the games that I play and I get selected, so be it,” he added.
He also revealed that while he still had a few niggling injuries, he was looking to do the things this year that resulted in him scoring three hundreds and bagging two five-wicket hauls in his Test career.
“I always have injuries. I played throughout this tournament [Caribbean T20] with injuries to my hand, my shoulder and my ankle. After I came from Australia I made a pledge this year, 2012, I’m just going to relax and enjoy my cricket like I used to do before. Try not to take on too many things on the field and just continue to play the game and just enjoy it.
“I am looking forward to having a good season in 2012. I’ve put in the hard work. I had a great stint in Australia with the Sydney Sixers before I came here and that helped me and gave me confidence from the time I came into the series.
Bravo was the top all-rounder in the Caribbean T20, scoring 121 runs and was among four bowlers whose ten wickets were the second most behind Jamaican Khismar Santokie (14).
He was happy to do well for Trinidad and Tobago.
“I came and played a big part in it. I’m happy for that and I give thanks to God and just looking forward to greater things in the year.”
