Brydon Coverdale
March 29, 2012
West Indies have released the out-of-form Darren Bravo from the squad for Friday's second Twenty20 in Barbados and called in the Jamaica batsman Danza Hyatt. Bravo has been sent back to domestic cricket in the hope that he can find some form ahead of the three-Test series, and he will play for Trinidad & Tobago this weekend in the Regional Four-Day semi-final.
Bravo has struggled against Australia, with scores of 4, 16, 0, 25 and three in the ODIs, followed by a scratchy 12 in the T20 loss in St Lucia on Tuesday. West Indies are desperate for him to be in peak form for the Test series, as he has been among their top two run scorers in every Test series he has played, and averages 52.50 in the format.
The selectors' decision will force a change at the top of the order for West Indies, who battled to score at a fast enough rate in the early stages of their innings on Tuesday and set Australia a target that proved too small. David Hussey, the Australia batsman, said the switch to Kensington Oval for the second game would create a very different challenge for Australia.
"The conditions [in St Lucia] really suited our game," Hussey told AAP. "We really hit the ground running with the ball, our fast bowlers in Brett Lee and James Pattinson up front really set the tone. We'll get to Barbados, different wicket, different conditions and that might really bring the West Indies back into play."
The hosts will consider including the fast bowler Fidel Edwards, who is in the squad but was not selected for the first game. Edwards possesses the sort of pace that could challenge Australia's batsmen if he finds the right line, and the West Indies vice-captain Dwayne Bravo said the structure of the attack would be considered by the selectors.
"Obviously firepower will definitely help," Bravo told reporters. "You look around anywhere in international cricket, teams that do well at T20 have at least one bowler that bowls at 145-plus."
West Indies were already without the allrounder Andre Russell, who missed the first game due to a minor strain to his right hamstring. Russell has also been ruled out of Friday's T20.
West Indies Squad For 2nd T20 Dwayne Smith, Johnson Charles, Nkrumah Bonner, Danza Hyatt, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wk), Darren Sammy (capt), Sunil Narine, Fidel Edwards, Krishmar Santokie, Garey Mathurin.
