Key Windies star Dwayne Bravo out of World Cup
West Indies’ World Cup hopes suffered a major body blow on Saturday
when key all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was ruled out of the rest of the
tournament with a knee injury.
Bravo, a veteran of 110 internationals, suffered the injury while
bowling in his team’s opening defeat against South Africa at the Feroz
Shah Kotla stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.
He was initially ruled out for the remainder of the league stage, but
is now flying back to the Caribbean for treatment on the damaged left
knee.
A scan revealed the 27-year-old, who made 40 in the seven-wicket
defeat to South Africa, had sprained his anterior cruciate ligament and
torn his knee cartilage. “This is a blow for us. Dwayne is our
vice-captain and one of the key members of our team,” said coach Ottis
Gibson. “He has been showing good form with the bat and batted well
against South Africa.
The West Indies lost opening batsman Adrian Barath and wicketkeeper
Carlton Baugh to injury before a ball was bowled in the World Cup, with
Kirk Edwards and Devon Thomas called in as replacements.
Fast bowler Tino Best, who has played 14 Tests and 12 one-day
internationals, is the third reserve on the West Indies World Cup list.
But the 29-year-old is under a disciplinary cloud having been banned for
Barbados’s recent match against the England Lions following a training
session bust-up with coaching staff.
Former champions West Indies tackle the Netherlands in New Delhi in
their next Group B game on Monday.
AFP |