Brydon Coverdale

June 24, 2009
T
Victoria have confirmed the signing of Dwayne Bravo for the domestic Twenty20 competition next summer as the states line up to secure international players with help from Cricket Australia. Bravo will join the Bushrangers for the Big Bash tournament, which falls between West Indies’ Test and one-day commitments in Australia.

“Dwayne is a proven performer in all forms of the game – particularly in Twenty20 cricket,” Cricket Victoria’s chief executive Tony Dodemaide said. “In addition to strengthening the team, we’re confident he’ll prove a big drawcard.”

The Victorians believed Bravo would be the ideal replacement for fellow allrounder Andrew McDonald, who they hope will be involved in Australia’s Test series against Pakistan when the Big Bash is on. Bravo’s Twenty20 record is strong; he was West Indies’ second leading run scorer and top wicket taker at the ICC World Twenty20 and performed well in this year’s IPL.

The addition of Bravo to a Victorian squad that has won three of the past four Twenty20 tournaments signals a shifting away from the state’s traditional policy of not importing international players. The Bushrangers can also bring in a second overseas signing but they have not yet decided whether to take that option.

New South Wales have expressed their interest in signing Shahid Afridi, who was one of the heroes for Pakistan in the World Twenty20 triumph, while the other states are also considering potential imports. Last year Western Australia brought in Pakistan’s Umar Gul for the Twenty20 tournament, while South Australia signed his fellow countryman Sohail Tanvir.