One of the leading all-rounders in the shortest format of the game, Bravo has been a significant part of successful T20 franchises across the world. In 31 CPL matches so far, the West Indian all-rounder has scored 452 runs (at a strike rate of 122.2) and has taken 47 wickets, including a season high of 28 wickets, during his team's successful run last year (2015), which also earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
The former national captain, who has also played a leading role in West Indies winning two World Twenty20 tournaments, in 2012 and 2016, said he's relishing the opportunity of defending the 2015 CPL title. "It was a great feeling and a great atmosphere last year. Trinidad & Tobago is known as one of the most carnival-like atmospheres when it comes to cricket. We're a very patriotic country where cricket is concerned and to play the finals in your home ground, and to also go on and win the finals, was a great achievement by the guys. The fans really get behind the team. We had a really good tournament last year, so we always enjoy playing at the Queen's Park Oval, and last year the entire place was red and black. It was a crazy atmosphere. And to go out there and do it for the fans was very important, also because it was the first time for us to win the tournament was a great achievement," Bravo said.
The defending champions have strengthened their squad with the acquisitions of star names like New Zealand's Brendon McCullum, South Africa's Hashim Amla and hometown boy, Sunil Narine (who played for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first three editions) and Bravo believes that there's enough quality in the team to defend their title. "It's good to always contribute through the tournament, especially when you win tight [games], you always want to note to yourself that you contributed heavily to your team's success. Being the captain for the last three years, we got to the semi-finals, but we had never got to the final. Last year was a very good team achievement. The guys stuck together, we had a very steady team with the same (backroom) staff. It was good that I was able to perform well and lead my team to a final. But, you know, my success was only based on the other individuals. My younger brother (Darren) had a very good tournament, as did Jacques Kallis. The overseas players bring a different kind of professionalism towards the entire set-up, so collectively, as a team, we did well," he said.
Having played together in the Indian Premier League (for Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Lions), Bravo was particularly pleased with the inclusion of McCullum, terming the former New Zealand star, as one of the world's most dangerous batsman. "I'm very happy to pin down McCullum. He's one of the world's most dangerous players and a few years ago, when we were both playing for Chennai (Super Kings), I even asked him to come and play for Red Steel back then. Now the name has changed. He was part of the KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) family back in IPL and it's good that he joined the TKR team. So I'm happy to be team-mates with him, also with Hashim Amla who is another great player," the skipper noted.
The CPL is set to take a leap forward this season with matches scheduled in the United States of America (USA). As many as six matches are scheduled to be held at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Florida, despite the insistence of the now suspended USA Cricket Association, that the matches be cancelled as the CPL and the Broward County hadn't received proper sanctioning to host the games.
However, these claims have been brushed aside by the International Cricket Council (ICC), who have have given the green signal and have also clarified that the suspended cricket body of USA doesn't have the right to sanction matches on their soil. "Please be assured that the CPL has indeed completed the due sanctioning process required by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in order to host these matches in Florida," ICC's head of global development, Tim Anderson, wrote to WICB president Dave Cameron and the Lauderhill officials. "The USA Cricket Association (USACA) is currently suspended by the ICC, and as part of this suspension does not hold the right to sanction such matches in the USA," he further added.
With T20 cricket all set to enter the lucrative USA market, Bravo hopes that the game will spread its roots in one of the world's biggest economies. "It's been a while now that a lot of people have tried to get cricket associated with America. It's good that CPL is taking that responsibility and taking it over there," the Trinbago skipper said.
However, Bravo believes that proper infrastructure is the key to take the sport forward and is hopeful of good facilities during the American leg of the tournament. "Hopefully we get good facilities and good conditions. It's all well and good to say 'Oh, cricket is in America', but we need to have good facilities and the cricket needs to be good. And that's the most important thing; that (the quality of) cricket is the selling brand, and that's the selling brand of any sport. The guys are looking forward to it. It's a great sport and let's see how it goes," he signed off.
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