Never batted at number 9: Dwayne Bravo in awe of Windies’ batting prowess

Bravo has been a key figure in West Indies’ rise as one of the best T20 outfits in the world. The all-rounder feels the batting prowess of the current team makes it even more intimidating.

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is back to the international fold and he is excited to be a part of the Caribbean team, which he feels is even better than the title winning squad of the 2016 WT20. Bravo has been a key figure in West Indies’ rise as one of the best T20 outfits in the world. The all-rounder feels the batting prowess of the current team makes it even more intimidating.

Dwayne Bravo in action during teh 2016 ICC WT20 semi-final. (Photo by Kunal Patil/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

“In the last series in Sri Lanka, we had a team meeting, and coach Phil [Simmons] put the team down, the list, and he put it down in batting order, and he had my name down at No. 9. And I said to the guys, I said listen, I don’t think I was ever involved in a T20 team when I am down to bat at No. 9,” ESPNCricinfo quoted Bravo as saying.

“I’m just in awe of our batting line-up, and I said to the guys, I said listen, I think this team is actually better than our World-Cup-winning team, and that is no joke, because at the end of the day, you have batting all the way down to No. 10,” he added.

“It’s an intimidating team, it’s a team to intimidate the opposition, and that excites me. So I will just do my part as a bowler, try to control the back end of the innings, especially closing off the innings with death bowling, which has been, in the past, a bit of a concern for us,” he said.

West Indies are the only team to have won the T20 World Cup twice and are also the defending champions, having edged England out in the final during the 2016 tournament in India.