Veteran batsman Darren Bravo has announced his withdrawal from West Indies cricket through a social media post, citing his exclusion from the One Day International series against England as the reason. Despite being the top run-scorer in the Super50 and a prominent batsman in regional tournaments, Bravo was not chosen for the ODI series, and he attributes this decision to his age.

In the past four years, Bravo has been a consistent performer in Caribbean cricket, boasting impressive averages of 96.2, 65.0, 48, and 83.2 runs per inning. His recent standout performance in the CG United Super50 Cup Tournament saw him lead the Red Force to victory, earning him the Golden Bat with a remarkable tally of 416 runs, including a best of 139 not out and a leading average of 83.2. Interestingly, this average surpassed that of any other batsman selected for the West Indies’ ODI series against England.

Despite his noteworthy contributions, the 34-year-old, who is also the brother of Dwayne Bravo, expressed his disappointment on Instagram. He revealed feeling left in a ‘very dark place’ due to the lack of communication from the selectors.

Darren Bravo’s Reflective Decision to Step Back from International Cricket

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A post shared by Darren Lilb Bravo (@dmbravo46)

“I’ve taken some time to ponder and wonder what’s my next step moving forward as a cricketer. At this point in my career it’s not easy or should I say it takes a lot to continue to find the energy, passion, commitment, and discipline to be able to perform to the best of my ability and put myself in a position to make my return to international cricket. Without any level of communication I’ve been left in a very dark place,” Bravo wrote in his statement on Instagram.

Bravo said that he is not giving up, but it’s important to give a chance to the youngsters as well. He opened up on the importance of opening doors for emerging talent and wished everyone the best. He further said that he has lived his dream and wished good luck to all the selected players for a better future.

“At the moment there’s three teams representing the region in multiple formats/series. That’s approximately 40-45 players and if I can’t be in any of these teams after competing in our regional tournaments and scoring runs, therefore they are basically telling me that the writing is on the wall. I’m not giving up but I believe it’s best to step away just for a bit and maybe make some room for a young and upcoming talent. I will end by wishing each and everyone all the very best. “I’ve lived my dream,” Bravo added.