Dwayne Bravo combines cricketing nous with his all-action game. The West Indian all-rounder is back with the Chennai Super Kings after recovering from a shoulder injury.
The 30-year-old shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with The Hindu here on Sunday.
On bowling at the death in Twenty20 cricket
It’s about the challenge and belief, I really enjoy it, it brings out the best in me. You must not be scared. You must embrace the opportunity.
On his potent yorker and slower deliveries
The batsmen develop; they now have reverse-sweep, switch hit, lap sweep... The bowlers should try to develop more deliveries. It’s a fast-paced game. You got to think on your feet.
As long as you can nail a yorker, there is no batsman in the world, unless you are an M.S. Dhoni, who can hit those toe-crushers. Then it depends on the situation and the batsmen. Against some batsmen, you try the short-pitched ball as well. Then there is the slower ball. You weigh your options.
On the mental side of bowling in the end overs
You are bound to go for runs. You want to get that aspect of it as quickly as possible from your mind. Bowl every delivery with a fresh and clear mind.
On his strokeful ways with the bat
I am not as powerful as a Gayle or a Pollard. My strength is to hit the ball down the ground. I also try to hit over the in-field, hit over cover. But I am getting stronger, doing some gym work and there are a few big hits too. We also have a lot of good bats these days so the ball tends to go.
On adapting to different formats
As long as you are good enough and respect the game, you can adapt to any format. David Warner made his name because of Twenty20 cricket. Now he is among the better Test batsmen in world cricket.
On his exuberant celebrations and brilliant fielding
I am an easy going person. I enjoy my game. I enjoy entertaining. It’s part of the West Indian culture. The fans love it. I will continue to do it. All of us play the game because of the funs. We need to show the bubbly side of ourselves and allow the spectators to enjoy the game even more.
My fielding comes naturally. Every run saved is one run less we have to make.
On his younger brother Darren
He is still learning. He has a lot to achieve and a long way to go. He has that hunger for success.
On West Indies emerging from the troubled phase
It’s a process. Our Test team has been going through some bad times. We are not going to get there overnight. But we have a lot of talent. As long as we pick the right team most times and try to play together as much as possible, we can come back.
On Denesh Ramdin’s captaincy
Ramdin is a very good captain and a very good person. The guys respect him a lot, and I am very happy for him. He has done well so far. The leadership has improved his all-round game.
