Carlos Brathwaite to re-join Birmingham Bears as T20 Blast captain

The West Indies allrounder is set to be available for the entire competition in 2022, including Finals Day, with the competition set to be staged in a single block next year

Carlos Brathwaite will captain Birmingham Bears in next year’s T20 Blast, with the West Indies allrounder returning to Edgbaston in 2022 for a second stint with the county.

Brathwaite was Birmingham’s leading wicket-taker in 2021 as the club reached the quarter-final stage for the first time in four years.

He will take the reins from club captain Will Rhodes, with the 33-year-old set to be available for the entire competition, including Finals Day, with the competition being staged in a single block next year rather than pushing the knockout phase into the latter part of the season.

“Carlos gets exactly what we are trying to achieve in T20 cricket,” said Paul Farbrace, Warwickshire’s director of cricket. “We want to play brave and entertaining cricket, that gets the crowd excited, and there’s never a dull moment with Carlos with either bat or ball in his hand. He’s a match winner.

“Since joining earlier this year, Carlos has been a great addition to the dressing room, and he is popular with all of the squad. He has also captained West Indies and the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL and his experience of playing, and winning, some of the biggest short-form tournaments in the world has been invaluable in supporting the development of our young players.”

As well as his 18 wickets in 2021, Brathwaite scored 183 runs, including 51 in a win over Worcestershire. He also smashed 44 off 18 balls in a victory against Nottinghamshire.

Brathwaite added: “Edgbaston is a very special place to play at and it was great to get a taste of the atmosphere last year. Hopefully we can welcome thousands more fans to get the Eric Hollies Stand rocking next year and make Edgbaston the real fortress for the Bears, which it’s renowned for.”