MUMBAI: Trinidadian batsman Darren Bravo, whose career has been in limbo after he crossed swords with West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron last November while on tour in Zimbabwe, may not play in the upcoming Indian Premier League.
Though he was picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in Monday’s players auction, Bravo will need a no objective certificate (NOC) from the WICB in order to participate.
“My understanding is that Mr Bravo has met with the executive of the WICB and the ball is in his court, as to whenever he is willing to come back and play cricket,” Cayman Reporter quoted Cameron as having said at a recent WICB public meeting in Port of Spain.
According to the newspaper, Bravo was sanctioned by the WICB after he slammed the Jamaican administrator in a Twitter outburst in November last year, labelling him a “big idiot” after Cameron’s criticism of his “declining” form and “poor performances”.
The WICB promptly cancelled Bravo’s contract and sent him home from the tour but also gave him until November 11, to remove the offending tweet and issue an apology for his actions.
Failure to do so, the WICB said at the time, would result “in further disciplinary action, including referral to the WICB disciplinary committee”.
Asked at the public meeting if he had received an apology from Bravo, Cameron again repeated: “The ball is in his court.”
For the record, Bravo did not play in the WICB’s Regional Super50 for Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and Cayman Reporter notes that with no clear information emerging from the regional governing body on the matter, it remains uncertain when the impasse with the player is likely to end.
Bravo is West Indies’ leading Test batsman among current players with 3,400 runs from 49 Tests at an average of 40.
