NEW DELHI, May 7: All-rounder Dwayne Bravo is in awe of the current West Indies T20 team�s batting depth, saying it is better than the 2016 World Cup-winning side and can intimidate any opposition.
�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,� Bravo told ESPNcricinfo.
�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.
�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.�
Bravo, who returned from international T20 retirement in December last year to strengthen West Indies� title defence, said the batting resources of this �intimidating� team has reduced his role to a specialist bowler.
�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,� said Bravo, who made his international comeback in January against Ireland.
�You saw how Oshane Thomas did with his pace in Sri Lanka. Then you have Sheldon Cottrell, now a leader of the attack, Kesrick Williams on the bench, so things starting to look bright again, things starting to look good again.�
Bravo also was effusive in his praise for skipper Kieron Pollard, who had taken over the reins of limited over teams last year.
�He loves to win (Pollard). That�s the most important thing, and as a captain, he�ll do anything to win, in the right way and the right spirit, and he�s very determined to win, to make a difference,� he said.
�I remember when they approached him to take over, I said to him, �it�s going to be a good challenge, a big one, a tough one, but now is the best time. You get both teams at the bottom of the table. There�s only one way you can go, which is up, right?�
�I said now is the right time, you build a team and you create a dressing-room environment where everyone is on the same page.�
Pollard has represented West Indies in 113 ODIs and 73 T20Is, scoring 3619 runs and taken 88 wickets. The 32-year-old all-rounder remains a huge figure in limited over cricket, having played in several leagues across the globe, including the IPL. � PTI
