'Lara is like my dad'

New Delhi: A team on the decline often needs young talents to revive its sagging fortunes. The once mighty West Indian team had been on the decline for quite a while. And then in 2004, like a breath of fresh air, Dwayne Bravo’s walked into the side. He was obviously not in the mould of bowlers like Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall or Joel Garner, but then he made up for speed with his guile and change of pace. And on his day, he could wield the willow with impunity and come up with some breathtaking efforts on the field.

Being a crucial cog in Trinidad and Tobago team, he played a stellar role, along with Kieron Pollard, to fashion his team’s dream run in the recently-held Champions League.

“It was a tournament where I knew I had a big part to play for my teammates because I am the only player with the IPL experience and I knew that this is a big tournament for us. I tried to help my teammates so that they could quickly adjust to the Indian conditions,” he said.

Bonding with Brian Lara

Having lived in the same locality as Brian Lara and known him since childhood days, Bravo’s cricket has strong influence of the legendary batsman. The bond between the two is so strong and profound that Bravo acknowledges Lara as a father figure in his life.

“Brian and I are like brothers, rather, he is like my dad if you’d like to put it that way. We know each other and come from the same village. His and my family are very close. On and off the field we share good relationship. I am one of the players who have always been close to him. He is one of my idols, my role models. I must say Brian helped me a lot as a player and an individual,” Dwayne admits effusively.

And what was Lara’s biggest contribution towards moulding him as a better cricketer?

“Lara was always very easy going. He was a strong captain and a strong leader. He was someone who believed in his players, he was a player’s captain. On the field if something did not go his way then he would get angry. However, he never really showed it there.”

Ask Bravo about whom he rates as the best in the world, Sachin Tendulkar or his best friend Lara, and he’ll put a seasoned diplomat to shame with his diplomatic remark. “Brian and Sachin are God’s gift. They are unbelievable cricketers. No ordinary players have such talent. They are special and in a different league from other players in the world.”

With his slow-medium pace, he has often troubled the opposition, especially in the death overs. An important aspect of his bowling is field placement, as he bowls according to his field. So, when Bravo came in to bowl the final over of T&T’s crucial Champions League match against Deccan Chargers, he was obviously not just concentrating on the job in hand, but was trying to recall what his mentor Brian Lara would have done in a similar situation.

“This is what I learned while Brian (Lara) was my skipper. He would discuss with me the field placement before giving me the ball. It helped me to plan my bowling. After a while, Brian started trusting me and my judgement a lot and that’s why, most of the time, I get the field I want,” said Bravo.

Dispute with Windies board

On sitting out the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in South Africa due to the dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board and West Indies Players Association, Bravo said it was “very disturbing”.

For a man who likes to be in the thick of action, it was “disheartening” knowing that he could have been in the West Indies squad but had to sit out due to some exacerbating issues wrecking the players and the board. However, now that the issues have been sorted out, the optimist in him hopes that the best team will be selected to represent the region.