KEY TAKEAWAYS:
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Dwayne Bravo urged Barbados Tridents youngster Jakeem Pollard to aim for West Indies selection.
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The CPL legend warned against limiting himself to T20 franchise cricket.
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Pollard, 18, is a left-arm seamer who impressed at the U-19 World Cup earlier this year.
Dwayne Bravo wants the next generation of West Indies player to not just play T20s
Dwayne Bravo has been dispensing advice to Caribbean youngsters for the better part of two decades, but rarely has a message landed with quite as much directness as this one. The Trinbago Knight Riders head coach pulled Jakeem Pollard aside during the CPL and told the 18-year-old something few coaches in franchise cricket bother to say anymore.
Pollard, a left-arm seamer from Barbados who caught the eye at the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year, made his CPL debut for the Barbados Tridents on 5th September against Bravo’s Knight Riders. He has since been described as one of the most exciting pace prospects to emerge from the island in recent years.
He’s also got a sharp inswinger already drawing comparisons with past greats. Meanwhile, Bravo, who retired from all cricket last year after a career spanning 582 T20 appearances and five CPL titles, chose his moment to deliver a message about what he believes matters beyond the franchise circuit.
What Dwayne Bravo told Jakeem Pollard about playing for West Indies
The exchange was caught on camera and carried the weight of a man who has been on both sides of the conversation, first as a young talent searching for guidance and later as one of the most successful T20 cricketers in history.
“The only thing I would suggest, y’all are young, y’all have a lot of freedom to play a lot of cricket. Y’all have to play for West Indies,” Bravo said. “Can’t just be T20 cricket.” This argument isn’t new for Bravo, who saw the golden generation of West Indies cricket lift two World T20 championship in four years.
Bravo also saw how most of his compatriots chose franchise cricket and the big paychecks over representing your country. He remained one of West Indies most loyal players in an era when the cricket board was struggling to pay it’s players and losing them to T20 leagues. The former all-rounder was quick to make sure the next generation didn’t repeat that.
“Just make sure to program your mind from now. Work hard on your game. Work hard on your fitness. Stay on that path and work hard,” Bravo told Pollard. He then shifted the tone, looking directly at Pollard and asking whether his family had money.
When the youngster’s expression answered the question, Bravo drew on his own background. “You’re rich? Family rich? We all came from poor families. We can all look after our families now. Because of this sport,” Bravo said. “So have the passion. Conquer.” Pollard nodded quietly throughout.
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Why Bravo’s message cuts against the grain of modern Caribbean cricket
The advice runs directly counter to the path many young West Indian cricketers now take. The proliferation of franchise leagues has created awards for a talented quick bowler across the CPL, IPL, Big Bash and SA20 dwarf what a West Indies central contract offers
Bravo knows this better than most, having played in more T20 leagues than any cricketer in history. Yet the man who was himself dropped from West Indies selection at 34 and spent the final years of his career exclusively in franchise cricket is telling the next generation not to follow the same route.
It speaks to a regret shared by several Caribbean greats, that the format which made them globally famous also allowed them to drift away from the national team. Pollard at 18 has time on his side, but Bravo’s point is that the window to commit to red-ball and 50-over cricket is narrow, and if the programming does not happen now, the franchise calendar will consume it entirely.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
