DJ Bravo calls out Windies Cricket’s “one-sided” relationship

Former West Indies all-rounder and T20 great Dwayne Bravo has delivered a candid assessment of the long-standing tensions between Caribbean cricketers and the West Indies Cricket Board, questioning why players are routinely criticized for choosing franchise cricket over international duty.
Speaking on the Beard Before Wicket podcast with Moeen Ali, Nubaid Haroon and special guest DJ Bravo, the Trinidadian did not shy away from confronting what he sees as an outdated mindset within cricket’s power structures.
According to Bravo, the global game has evolved, but administrators in some regions have been slow to adapt.
“The cricket is run from an organization point of view. It will always have these players versus board players versus country, franchise and these kind of things,” Bravo said. “Until the associations and the organizations understand that the sport has changed and the direction of where the sport is going now, they cannot be stubborn in their thinking that you have to play for your country or because of your country is the reason why.”
Bravo took particular issue with the narrative that West Indies players lack patriotism when they prioritize lucrative franchise leagues.
“When they hear talks about, ‘Oh, these guys only do it for franchise and not for country and they don’t care about their country,’” he said. “Okay. Anyone is stopping to ask if the country care about us? Why is it always one side? It’s just like a relationship. It’s like a marriage. It go both ways.”
His comments strike at the heart of a debate that has shadowed West Indies cricket for more than a decade, as elite players increasingly find financial security and professional stability in leagues such as the IPL, CPL and other global T20 competitions.
Bravo, one of the most successful T20 players in history, also addressed why he has not taken on a more formal role within West Indies cricket since his retirement from international play. The answer, he suggested, lies in a lack of genuine influence and structural support.
“I don’t see myself being involved in a system or in something that if I cannot have a real influence and a say in making a difference, I don’t want to be involved,” he said
The former all-rounder pointed to facilities and infrastructure as a key area of concern, making it clear he would not stay silent if standards fell short.
“If I think the facilities need to improve and I said, ‘Okay, let’s improve the facilities,’ and I realise it’s not being improved, I will have a snap,” Bravo explained. “And if my snap means you see it as a disrespect towards you, then so be it. But I cannot say, ‘Okay, you want us to produce, but then they’re given average facilities.’ How you expect to produce?”
Bravo’s remarks echo frustrations expressed by several generations of West Indies cricketers, past and present, and arrive at a time when the team continues to struggle for consistency across formats.
As the global game continues to evolve and franchise cricket grows in influence, Bravo’s comments serve as a stark reminder that rebuilding West Indies cricket may require not just player commitment, but a fundamental shift in how the game is managed across the region.