Former West Indies great Dwayne Bravo is on a mission to ensure Bermuda qualify for the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Bravo, who was initially scheduled to visit the island last November, was in Bermuda last weekend at the invitation of Andre Coley, the ex-West Indies coach who is working as a high-performance consultant for the Bermuda Cricket Board. He conducted workshops with coaches and players at CedarBridge Academy.

“The aim is 2028, that’s the vision and ultimate plan,” Bravo told The Royal Gazette.

“The coach who invited me here, Andre Coley, I think he has the interest at heart and I definitely back him to be the person to take the vision and take this group of guys forward. Having someone like him who also has national coaching experience benefits Bermuda.

“I will not be available fully throughout the year but as soon as I have the opportunity I will keep in touch and I will try to offer my services once convenient. Between now and 2028, you’ll see me again.

“It’s a short trip, but I vow and I plead to the guys that this is a journey that I want to help with. I would like to get them back playing where they feel they deserve to be playing and belong.”

The two-times T20 World Cup winner believes Bermudian cricketers have what it takes to excel on the international scene, with the only challenge being limited playing time.

“As far as the players are concerned, the talent is there,” he said.

“What these guys are lacking is game time and the opportunity to play against better nations and actually play cricket tournaments.

“But I’m happy that I’m here to be able to pass on my knowledge. The interaction I had with the players was very healthy and it was a dialogue, not just speaking down to them, but it was a conversation where they asked questions and vice versa.

“The weather wasn’t permitting for us to go outside, so we were able to do a little game scenario here in the indoor court, and it was fun.

“We gave them scenarios. A couple of the batsmen won their scenarios and then a couple of the bowlers won their scenarios. They themselves identified some things that they could have done better and what we talked about in the classroom transpired here.

“I always said in all my messages that it doesn’t make sense to do something if you're not enjoying it. The most important thing is to have fun and enjoy what you do, then the best will come out of you.”

Former Bermuda captain Delray Rawlins expressed his delight at being coached by Bravo, who represented West Indies 295 times in all formats of the game.

“He seems like he wants to be on a journey with us,” Rawlins said.

“If he is, it would be nice to have him around, another brain to pick and another pair of hands for us to use and help us move forward.

“Obviously it’s difficult to learn a lot in one day but you probably have to take one or two lessons from it and try to apply it to yourself. I didn’t manage to attend the outdoor session he had on Saturday but it seemed like it was pretty insightful and a lot of good information was shared.”

National captain Terryn Fray was also pleased to get a fresh perspective on the game from someone who has seen it all.

“Something like this is a good morale booster for the guys, so we can start to focus over the next few weeks before the North America Cup in April,” Fray said.

“It’s always good to be able to pick a professional’s brain. That way we see how they view and understand the game and pass the information on to us, we can try and implement it into our games.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say it was anything new but more reinforcing some of the stuff that has been passed on over time.

“We’ve had the privilege here for a time to have good coaches that have graced Bermuda’s shores. Sometimes I think you need a fresh face to come in and reinforce some of those key aspects.

“I thought it was a really well-executed session. You could see guys were engaging, there was a lot of dialogue involved and any type of information can assist.”

Bravo, the Trinbago Knight Riders coach, has fond memories of Bermuda playing at the 2007 Cricket World Cup in West Indies, the island’s sole appearance in a global event at senior level.

“I know Bermuda cricket has a rich history,” the Trinidadian said.

“I remember playing in the 2007 World Cup as I was part of it and it’s strange to see that Bermuda has disappeared from the international scene.

“Listening to some of the concerns, I think we’re on the right track in terms of trying to map out a plan to turn the corner.

“The short-term goal is to try, from a facilities point of view, to get some government backing and funding. We need to get people to love the sport again and get them back involved.

“That’s why I had a session with the coaches as we have to also get them upbeat and equipped as to what it takes as an elite coach to take the sport forward. The long-term goal is obviously for them to qualify for ICC tournaments.

“From listening, I think it’s a combination of the same challenges most nations face, including West Indies and Afghanistan, to a lesser extent. Some of the challenges are funding and facilities. Those are two important things in any nation's development.

“If we don’t have proper funding and proper facilities, it doesn’t matter how much talent you have.

“One of the things that Coley and I will have to do, along with the head of the Bermuda Cricket Board, is to come up with a proposal and a template where we can go towards the government to see if they can help contribute towards the revival of Bermuda cricket.”

BCB president Lloyd Smith hopes Bravo’s visit can assist in upping the level of the game on the island.

“We’re very appreciative to Bravo for taking time off his busy schedule to come down to Bermuda,” Smith said.

“He came here on the recommendation of our high-performance consultant to provide some information for our local coaches.

“We’re looking to do the best we can when it comes to bringing in the best people to help our cricket to improve and to raise the standards locally.”