Andrew Alleyne has cut short his international career to concentrate on helping win more silverware with Brighton Bears.

The Barbados international centre, matchwinner in his island's Championship decider on Saturday night, will tell Bears owner and coach Nick Nurse today that he wants to be part of the BBL title defence next season.

At the same time, Alleyne has caused a tropical storm on his home island by calling a halt to his distinguished 14-year international career.

The driving force behind Barbados' two Caribbean Championship triumphs in recent years has made himself unavailable for a forthcoming tournament in Cuba, saying he needs to rest ahead of the winter season.

His importance to the national team was underlined by the key role he played for his club Passoa Station Hill Cavaliers as they beat arch rivals Playfair Warriors 70-67 to clinch the five-game Barbados Championship final series 3-2 at the magnificent Garfield Sobers Sports Complex.

Alleyne, 35, insists he has no regrets about pulling out of the national team who are coached by his former Milton Keynes Lions team-mate Nigel Lloyd.

He said: "I've always been proud to represent my country but I'm tired now.

"My time has come and, as a professional player, that's what I have to concentrate on most."

Not everyone sees it that way. When the national team manager offered me a lift from the gym, it was mainly out of old fashioned Bajan hospitality but also as a chance to bend an ear, the suggestion being that an outsider should try and persuade Alleyne to re-think.

The island's daily newspaper The Nation gave over a page to the controversy surrounding "Mr Basketball in the Caribbean," with reporter Barry Alleyne (no relation) describing the player's decision as a "severe blow" which left Barbados "in virtual shambles."

Alleyne himself has played down any potential row and insists he will keep playing for the Cavaliers in the amateur Bajan competition.

Priority though goes to repeating the form he showed in the BBL and ULEB Cup last winter.

He said: "Nick left it up to me to decide if I wanted to go back to Brighton and to contact him within two or three weeks.

"I do want to and I will be emailing him. The only thing that would stop me playing for Brighton would be if Nick didn't want me back.

"The Cavaliers are my home community team. I've been playing for them since 1986 and this was my third time winning the league but we hadn't done it since 1992 so it has been a while."

Alleyne is known as a centre operating close to the rim in England but his stature in Barbados gives him licence to play a more all-round role, similar to that filled by Rico Alderson or Albert White in recent years at Brighton.

Tight defence kept him to 16 points on a sultry Saturday night.

Maybe it was the lack of air conditioning or perhaps it was the bottles of beer dispensed from vans outside the arena at half-time.

Whatever the reason, it all got very heated as Cavaliers came from nine points down in a pulsating contest featuring streetball-type skills, fantastic commitment and eccentric refereeing.

Fans were standing on their seats as Alleyne was fouled going for a three-pointer with the scores tied at 67-67 with 4.1 seconds to play.

Somehow, the Bajan Bear ignored the high stakes, the pandemonium around him and the futile protest by an opponent, who had to be ushered away from the free throw line, to sink all three foul shots and spark a joyous court invasion by fans.

Now he will hope for similar, if somewhat more restrained celebrations, next season in Sussex.