Bravo Explains 'Catch', Credits Lloyd
Sat, Oct 28, '06
West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is crediting Clive Lloyd with nurturing and advising him during the ICC Champions Trophy.
Bravo responded to questions after his maiden One Day International hundred against England in the West Indies third and final game of Group A of the ICC Champions Trophy.
Following are some of his responses...
It was a good feeling to get my first One Day International hundred especially since it has been a while since I scored some runs. This morning when I went to the ground I had an early net session with Runako (Morton) and Braddie (Ian Bradshaw) bowling to me and from there I was feeling really good.
On how it compares to getting his first ODI 50:
I felt good when I got my first ODI 50 earlier this year against India at the Queens Park Oval but this was obviously bigger and more momentous. It is a pity that the team did not come up on the winning side. That is very disappointing.
On his massive 174 run partnership with Chris Gayle:
Batting with Chris (Gayle) really helped me a lot, he nurtured me throughout my innings. He knew my confidence was down and from the time I went in he kept telling me to believe in myself, that this is my day and to back myself. He was encouraging me throughout.
I really appreciate how he shared his experience in the middle. It was nice to be at the crease when he got his 14th ODI hundred. I felt proud that I was there at the other end supporting him as well.
On how he prepared after a run of low scores previously:
Due to a lack of good scores to my name after the first couple of games my confidence was down. I lost my confidence and that is where the experience of Mr. (Clive) Lloyd came into play. The advice I received from him helped me tremendously. It is very satisfying for me to take his knowledge and put it into the game situation and reap the rewards.
Now that I have the hundred after being given the opportunity to bat at number three for the second time I really feel good about the position and batting there. I hope to carry on from here and work at my game even more to be the best players that I can be and always keep improving.
On England successfully chasing 272:
I think 272 was a good total and I had no doubt that we have a good enough bowling team to defend that total. Credit must be given to English batsmen, they were positive and got off to a flying start and that sort of caught us on the back foot. We always believed that once we got a few wickets we were right back in the game. Chris (Gayle) came on and bowled very well along with Marlon (Samuels) but in the end we came out on the losing end.
On taking the catch to dismiss Michael Yardy when television replays showed the ball bounced before it got to his hands:
I thought I had it clean but after coming back in dressing room and seeing the replay I saw the ball bounce before it got to my hands. I immediately went to the England dressing room and apologized to Michael Yardy because I really did not know the ball had bounced. He understood and accepted my apology. While taking the catch my eyes was not on the ball because I was diving and I did not see the ball hit the ground. Naturally I feel bad about it because it is not something that I would ever do intentionally and it is not something that is part of my game. If I knew the ball had bounced while taking the catch I would have told the skipper right away.