West Indies newly introduced batting star Darren Bravo - the younger brother of all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, doesn't try to emulate Brian Lara, but it's simply genetic. The dashing 20-year-old Bravo, who just made his International debut for the West Indies, is actually a cousin of the legendary former West Indies and his mother wants people to know her son is not trying to copy Brian.

The younger Bravo scored 605 runs at an average of 43.21 in nine matches of the West Indies domestic first-class competition this year. Left handed batsman was a part of the Under 19 West Indies team for the 2008 World Cup.

“Brian’s (Lara) mother is my father’s sister. So we are first cousins,” said Earlene Bravo while speaking in an interview on the Line & Length Network. “I was on a taxi in Jamaica on the way to cricket and the guy didn’t know who I was. Darren was just going out to bat and the guy kept saying ‘why this guy trying to be like Lara?’ and I was so annoyed,” she quipped.

“From when he was young, he had those antics just like Brian, it’s in his genes,” she explained, also noting that Darren and Dwayne had the same father, but Dwayne’s mother is different.

“From very young this boy just love cricket. He would be batting in his sleep. On mornings he pretends he playing a match with himself. At Fatima School he would carry the ball, the stumps and bat and play all day. He did well in school, but it is cricket that my son has always been about.”

Darren’s mom was flown to Sabina Park the day her son made his International debut and she joined Darren and Dwayne’s dad, John Bravo, along with Dwayne’s mother, Joycelyn who also confirmed that her step son (Darren) and Dwayne have been close from little boys.

“Everyday these boys talking and playing cricket. Dwayne just use to play cricket by himself. He even used to score in a book. And I would say to Dwayne, ‘boy, who you scoring for?’ and he would say, ‘mommy I playing a game’,” she said. Darren and Dwayne’s mothers and their father were joined by their uncle and other family members at Sabina.

Bravo, 20, scored 19 off 16 balls with the help of two elegant boundaries on his debut match against India which however West Indies lost by 20 runs while chasing a bulky total of 340. Young Bravo did not bat in the second ODI when Windies won it by eight wickets in hand.

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