Darren Bravo has withdrawn from the West Indies tour of South Africa due to ‘personal reasons’.

The batsman is the only name missing from the squad of 15 chosen by the West Indies Cricket Board, all of whom, with the exception of Bravo, committed to the tour in writing by Tuesday’s deadline.

The WICB did not disclose the circumstances behind Bravo’s pull-out. ‘Darren Bravo wrote to chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd and requested not to be considered for the Test series due to personal reasons,’ the WICB release stated. ‘The WICB extends its best wishes to Bravo as he seeks to address his personal matters and looks forward to his return to the game.’

The signing of player contracts had assumed a critical importance in the aftermath of the West Indies ODI squad pulling out of the India tour last month. Doubts remained about whether the players would consider boycotting the South Africa tour, which starts in December.

But by signing the contracts for the South Africa tour the players have put faith in the ongoing negotiations with WICB and WIPA. ‘The WICB thanks the players for their timely and positive responses and looks forward to a successful tour of South Africa,’ the WICB release said.

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