Saint John’s [Antigua], April 1 (ANI): Ex-West Indies all-rounder and twice-T20 World Cup champion Dwayne Bravo strongly criticized Cricket West Indies (CWI) for swapping Rovman Powell with Shai Hope as the team's T20I captain, deeming this move "one of the worst choices" made thus far. He also called for an end to what he perceives as poor treatment toward players.
As the West Indies senior men’s squad gears up for a fresh beginning, Cricket West Indies (CWI) revealed changes in their leadership structure across various formats before an important home season. This forthcoming home series signals the commencement of a new ICC World Test Championship period featuring Tests against Australia. Meanwhile, during the tour to England and Ireland, a newly appointed T20 captain will take charge prior to leading the team at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 scheduled for India and Sri Lanka, according to CWI's official site. Shai Hope took over as both T20I and ODI captain. In this move, he takes the reins from Rovman Powell, who had been successfully steering the T20 side since May 2023.
During Powell’s tenure as leader, the West Indies experienced a revival in T20 cricket, achieving home-series wins over India, England, and South Africa. Under his guidance, the squad advanced to the Super 8 phase of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and climbed up the ICC T20I rankings from ninth to third position. In total, he captained the side in 33 T20 internationals, claiming victory in 16 matches.
After the announcement of this development, Bravo posted on Instagram criticizing CWI’s decision, according to Wisden. He wrote, “@windiescricket yet again you have shown both the people of the Caribbean and the global cricket community that injustice toward players persists! Being a previous player and supporter of West Indies cricket, I find this to be among the most disheartening choices made. Powell stepped into leadership with our T20 squad ranked ninth internationally and managed to elevate us to third place. How do they repay him? With poor treatment of athletes—when will it end? It’s truly heartbreaking from every angle...try making some sense of this!”
Currently, Powell is part of the roster for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who are competing in the present edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Bravo is acting as the team’s mentor. Throughout his career in 91 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), Powell has accumulated 1,747 runs with an average of 25.69 and a strike rate exceeding 140. He has also notched up one century and eight half-centuries. His highest individual score stands at 107. (ANI)
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