 Yeah, for the 14th time Trinidad and Tobago Red Force are champions of 50 over cricket in the Caribbean. The achievement came after a victory against the Leone Islands Hurricanes in the final on Saturday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The Red Force comfortably chased the Duckworth-Lewis revised target of 138, scoring 141 for 3 in just 23.4 overs after dismissing the Hurricanes for 135, the match reduced to 43 overs per side. In his final time in Listay Cricket, Sunil Narain, the missed Spinner, took 3-4-17, indeed he was a mystery to earn the Man of the Match Award. Let's now hear from the losing captain, Alzarra Joseph. I couldn't ask for anything but except for winning the trophy, but the boys really bring the hard work. I can't ask for anything better from the boys. They've all chipped in really, but the new signings in particular, Graves, O'Shaen Thomas have made a real difference this year. Yeah, I mean we are not the quality that they bring to the team and we saw it this season so I just think I and R, we had a good season, but it's just an unfortunate win. Alright now joining us via Zoom is Trinidad and Tobago Red Force captain Darren Bravo. Darren Bravo, it's a pleasure to have you on the Sportsmax Zone. First of all, congratulations and how are you doing a couple days after your triumphant performance? Thank you very much for having me and as you rightly said a couple days, I got a couple days to relax after the finals so I'm just chilling at the moment. Yeah, sounds good. First of all, Darren, describe the experience of captaining this star-studded Trinidad and Tobago Red Force set-up. I think it was an easy one for me, each and every single member of our Red Force team. But before the start of the tournament, we identified each player role and responsibility so it was just a matter of each player going out there and playing their role, executing their role. I think I was able to achieve that which was the most satisfying thing apart from winning. How enjoyable was it, the captaincy role for you? Well, to be quite honest, for me just trying to lead from the front as much as possible. As you rightly said, we had a couple of international players on our set-up, they in their own right are leaders, so it was easy. It was a sort of help for me as well, having the likes of Sunarang, Nicholas Puran, Jason Momin, those guys who have been there, done that in the past, so it was easy for me and I'm really happy that I was able to lead on those guys' shoulders for some advice each and every time when I think I was under some sort of pressure or anything like that. Let's talk about the final on Saturday because in the preliminary round, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes pushed you all the way, it was a pretty close match and on Saturday you absolutely smashed them. What was the difference you think in the final compared to when you met earlier in the tournament? I just think it was a matter of basically executing our plan. I think in the first game, you know, they sort of hit us the first punch and the way Kyren Powell and Justin Greaves opened the button, Powell was very aggressive. We didn't really expect something like that from him and there's other putters on the back foot, but we know the quality of our spinners. We know the wickets are conducive to spin and the lives of Sunarang and Yanikari and Akiho signing in the middle of the endings and definitely going to propel them back. So we knew that going into the final, if we control the power play, it's going to be difficult for them to basically, you know, get the whole of us and we were able to do that and at the end of the day, the result speaks for itself. Right. And the results speak for themselves and your performance also spoke for itself. How good was it to finish this tournament? One is captain, but as the leading run scorer for the TNT Red Force and the entire competition? Yeah, it's a great feeling indeed. I've been put in a lot of work, but my main goal and my main goal in this entire tournament or whenever I was given the captaincy of the Red Force team or the lead from the front, take that level of responsibility each and every single time I get the opportunity and I think I was able to do that with flying colors. But at the end of the day, it was most important trying to have the other youngsters on the team, you know, understand their game and stuff like that. So all in all, I think it was a pleasing effort from myself. Yeah, Trini fans are very, very passionate about cricket and of course the Trinidad and Tobago players. So what really made me happy is when I saw that they could attend the matches free of charge. How was the turnout and how was the energy from the crowd, especially knowing that you all were winning and it was the last match that they would get to see Senna Narayan in the Red Force colors? Yeah, I think at the final it was Aizen on the kick and the fans really came out. Unfortunately, the reins sort of, you know, set us back a little bit, but having said that, I think it was a good initiative by the West Indies, the cricket West Indies that allowed the fans to come in at the stadium for free. As you all know, Trini likes free-ness. Anybody likes free-ness, come on. So all in all, I think it was a very, very good initiative and especially Senna Narayan playing his last game for Trinidad and Tobago. And it was a bit of a sweet moment because he knew he's young. He have a lot of us at the West Indies cricket, but he had made up his mind. He would have contributed tremendously to both Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies cricket. So all in all, as a team, we wish him all the best. And as a team as well, we made a conscious effort actually when this one frame, so it basically can't go out on a high. So we're happy that we're able to do that and we really actually wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Yeah, Lance has expressed that he has a lot of time for Terence Hines, Terro, as we call him. I had the opportunity to be around him when he played for Musai Sports Club. So that's quite some time. But talk to me about, you know, Terence Hines and how he has elevated his game from those Musai days to now representing the TNT Red Force and becoming a household name. Yeah, very, very cool customer. Someone that basically do what it's necessary to be able to perform the Trinidad and Tobago. As we all know, he's known as a win boy cricketer. So that natural ability, that natural skill to basically play the game of cricket is there and he's hungry. He won success and each and every single time as a captain, I call upon him to come and do the goods or come and basically or go in and give us something special. He is quite capable of doing that. So as a captain, I'm really happy that he was part of the setup. He sort of gave me that assurance that when he's back here, we don't have much to worry about. So all in all, you know, very, very good tournament and hopefully he can see the light at the end of the tournament sometime in the future where being on better things that can soon. Yeah, Darren, it was a significant, the strong team effort by Trinidad and Tobago throughout the tournament, yourself as the top batsman and Sunil Narain with the most wickets. But there was also Kieron Ottley and Kariah who were, well Kariah and Narain were two of the top three bowlers in the statistics and yourself and Ottley were two of the top three batsmen in the statistics. So as far as the contribution is concerned, you got good efforts from a lot of your other teammates. Yeah, that was the most important thing we tried to identify as the team. The good thing about our setup is the situation where we do have to rely on each and every single player as I mentioned previously, have had an important role to play. And I believe each and every member of the team will keep doing that. Everybody put up, someone put up there and at some point in time, it was no matter if Darren Bravo don't score and Red Force going to lose or Sunil Narain didn't take wickets, Red Force is going to lose. So I believe and honestly believe it was a total team effort. The guys gave it their all. I think the relationship we have with the coaching, the management staff and stuff like that. Play the integral part as well. The coach allowed us to go out and express ourselves. The manager allowed us to make sure each player is comfortable and stuff like that. We basically introduced Omar Khan who was also part of the Red Force set up back in the days with Kairan Paula and Edwin Brack. I was like, it was there. So he came back to learn the experience as well. So that is a play the important part. And all in all it was a collective team effort. And at the end of the day, we went out and did it for our country and that was the most pleasing thing. Can we shift the discussion now to Darren Bravo, Darren? Because when the selectors had named the ODI team to face the Indians back in the summer, there were some West Indies cricket fans who felt that your name should have been there. There are some ODI cricket coming up soon. Do you have any aspirations to return to international cricket? Yeah, always. That's the reason why we play the game. We always want to represent the West Indies and I've never received any call or anything like that. So I'm just thinking one day at a time, continue doing what I have to do. And I guess whenever that call comes or if it comes, obviously I would go. Yeah, West Indies cricket has struggled now for a very, very long time, Darren. And you are seen by most experts as one of the most gifted batsmen to come out of this region in a long time. But your appearances in international cricket have been limited for whatever reason. You are still young enough to contribute significantly. How confident are you that you will get a call for the England series coming up? I'm not really focused on that to be quite honest. As a player, I just need to continue to put in on my game. As I said, if the calls come, then we see how things go. Surprisingly said, I'm a bit young. I'm someone that always looking at social media and reading comments and stuff like that. And sometimes they say a lot of good food stuff when you generally know that you care about West Indies cricket and all those type of things. So when you see fans basically lashing out on you and saying a lot of bad stuff about you, they definitely hear it. And it gives you that sense of we really actually make sense actually, you know, they are trying to represent the people of the Caribbean. But at the end of the day, I have to do what I have to do. And I always say haters have to hate. And winners have to win. Everyone have a job to do. So for me, it just doesn't matter focusing on what I have to do. And that's how things go from there. Yeah, you know, Darren, if I had spoken to you, let's say about 13 or 14 years ago, I would advise you to stay off social media and stay away from viewing a lot of those comments because I can tell you it can be quite depressing. And it's quite easy for individuals who are not in the spotlight to hide behind their computers and their phones and type whatever they feel to type. And it's quite OK, but clearly it's too late for me to give you that advice now. I do want to know, though, if you did not get selected for the England ODI series coming up in December, would you be disappointed? And exactly how disappointed would you be? Just keep a smile on my face to be honest, man. I believe that time when I supposed to get picked, I didn't get picked. At that time, when I probably got selected, I probably was not my best. So at the end of the day, sometimes you up, sometimes you don't. So I don't really want to say if I don't get picked, I'm going to be disappointed. Yes, obviously when you do well, you want to be rewarded. But at the end of the day, I think for me, I just continue doing what I have to do. If there's a situation, I have to probably make more runs next year or something like that. I'll try my best to do that. So for me, I just trying to stay humble, trying to stay calm, trying to enjoy helping the other youngsters in trying to be able to set up and they're trying to be a role model as much as possible. Yeah, so let's look at it this way then. Without thinking about West Indie selection, it may or may not happen. What, I mean, what does the next three or four months look like for Darren Bravo? Well, I believe there's a regional four that start in January. January or February, I'm not sure the exact date. But as of now, that is where my mind is. I want to start preparing for that tournament as soon as possible and see how I can improve on certain aspects of my game and stuff like that. So at the end of the day, it don't stop as a professional cricket that you always have. There's always room for improvement and stuff like that. So, yeah, but there's going to continue taking it one day at a time. And I guess it's like that I have a job to do and I also have a job to do, so you sell things. Yeah, Ricardo asked you about the next few months. And then I saw your hat and I remember that you also have a brand just like your brother that, you know, you pushed and you do business as well. So you're not only reliant on the cricket for income and to live, you have your own business going on. So can you tell us a bit about that? Because we know your brother is producing music studio, but your business? Yeah, obviously 46 is my, is my shoot number. We're in for the West Indies and everywhere I go. So for me, it's just trying to basically promote that brand as much as possible. And that's trying to basically, you know, sell myself in the best possible way. I always try to, you know, be the best rule model that I can be for the youngsters at a Queen's Park or a Chanted Bego setup and stuff like that. So they all look up to me and, yeah, as you rightly said, at the end of the day, we have to sort of, you know, try different ways and means to bring an income to support their family and stuff. I'm getting a lot of support from the 46 brands. So hopefully, you know, it can continue now, now when they enter the shade sort of avenue, I'm going to be doing, you know, t-shirts, sneakers and things very soon. So hopefully it can propel into something big and special in the future. All right, tell you what, send some to the Sports Bank Zone and we'll rip them one of these Fridays for you. I do have to ask you this though, Darren, do you have any DJing or singing talent? No, actually, when Dwayne writes a song and he's going to the studio and singing songs, he send it to me, it's to me to give him the okay. Okay, so you're the boss. Before it can reach on the media and the airways. I have to give him a sign-off on it first. But you don't sing it though? No, I don't sing it, I don't sing it. So whenever you hear a song on the media, know that Darren Bravo basically sign off. So we know where to come if we're not enjoying it. If you're not enjoying it, you can quietly contact me and it was like, Darren was one man. Oh, Darren, congratulations. Tell you what, it's been a pleasure talking to you today, man. And great performances in the Super 50, by the way, with real consistency. And I think that was what was really impressive about what you delivered with the extra pressure. Although you said it was easy of captaincy and to perform with the bat the way you did, is quite impressive. And hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more from you. Thank you very much, thank you very much for having me. Yeah, Darren Bravo. You know, Lance and Mariah, quickly, I think I've said it on the show before, that it's a travesty that Darren's career took the trajectory that it did, because I think West Indies cricket has been robbed of someone who I think could genuinely have been one of the great West Indies batsmen. And I have said this before, that this is the first time in the history of West Indies cricket, especially in the test format where we lack a truly genuine world-class batsman, no other period in the history of West Indies cricket, I think we've been without a world-class batsman and had things been different, Darren Bravo would have been that. I mean, he is quite possibly the most attractive batsman to watch in this region. And I do hope, I really do hope, he gets back into the West Indies setup and we can see from him what I think the entire region knows he is capable of. I agree with everything you just said, Ricardo, and the fact is he's just 34 years old and based on... You say just lands, I love how you say just 34. Because I am saying it's in the context of what we have available to us at the moment, and the fact that he's 34 years old, which you would generally regard as getting old, given West Indies cricket and the landscape that we are now looking at, a 34-year-old Bravo, in my opinion, can contribute significantly to this team. He has eight test hundreds, about four ODI hundreds, and he has not played a lot of cricket, certainly a lot less than some others who have not done as well or not had as impressed with statistics as he has. So I'm hopeful that his international career isn't finished because I'd like to see him on the front stage again. And I just want to judge on the form that we've seen from him right now. 34 means nothing, there is no stopping him, he has been really consistent for the TNT Red Force. And let's just say a lot of the people playing in the TNT Red Force, Seymour, some of most of them are members of the West Indies team, so it was top-class quality cricket and I think he still has what it takes. Yeah, let's see, I would all turn it up, we take a break, we'll be back with more on the Sports Mac Zone.