Anil Roberts

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago Sports Minister Anil Roberts has scolded Red Steel captain Dwayne Bravo for public statements he made protesting a decision to change the name of the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel for the Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which began in Grenada last weekend.

Following their opening victory over Barbados Tridents, Bravo criticised the decision to drop the words Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) from the franchise which will now be known as Red Steel.

rules and regulations

In a letter to Red Steel manager Colin Borde, which was copied to CPL CEO Damien O'Donohoe and T&T Cricket Board president Azim Bassarath, Roberts called Bravo's outburst "disrespectful and improper".

"As an employee in a privately run tournament, it is improper and completely disrespectful for him to publicly challenge the rules and regulations regarding the use of a country's name and also publicly attempt to belittle the valid concerns and legal responsibilities of an elected representative of that nation's government," the Trinidad and Tobago sports minister wrote.

"Mr Bravo's outburst suggests that either he is publicly going against the mandates of his employer or the CPL is backtracking on its earlier agreement to respect the regulations surrounding the use of the name T&T."

jokers

Bravo referred to the decision makers of the name change as a "bunch of jokers", and told journalists in St George's he was prepared to deal with the consequences if his statements got him into trouble.

In his letter, Roberts said the onus was on CPL to inform Bravo of the name change.

"Based on what I have read in the press, it seems that Mr Bravo was only informed that the name T&T could not be used just before the start of the Red Steel's first match," said Roberts.

"It was expected that you would have informed Mr Bravo at his signing with the team of the mandated alteration to the team's name and advise him of all the necessary protocols involved in the use of the name of a sovereign nation."

CPL is yet to issue an official statement on the issue.

Dwayne Bravo - file photos