The all-conquering West Indies cricket teams of the 70s would be turning in their grave if they saw the state of the game in the Caribbean today.
Where legendary fast bowlers such as Curtly Ambrose, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall once pounded the dusty tracks of the Kensington Oval and Sabina Park with such venomous pace that had opposition frightened to come out to bat, now lay bowlers who are looked upon as cannon-fodder.
Brian Lara is one such legend from the West Indies’ good old days and he believes that the lack of funding at grass-roots level is to blame for the decline.
“We have got a lot of things wrong in West Indies cricket,” said Lara, who is considered to be one of the game’s greatest-ever batsmen. “I believe that administratively we haven’t been doing the right thing. There is not effort being made to create a proper academy for our youngsters.”
“Obviously there are a lot more options (for young West Indians) than say 20 years ago. Cricket for me was the one way to get to the top and now there are many different distractions.
“The West Indies Cricket Board really hasn’t grasped what is necessary and unfortunately we are lingering at the bottom of world cricket.
However where the Test team have failed consistently over the past decade the West Indies have found some success in the limited overs form of the game.
Following the dismissal of ODI captain Dwayne Bravo by selectors in 2015, the responsibility to lead the team fell on the young shoulders of Jason Holder.
Despite the pressure of leading the side, taking the new ball and batting in the top order, Lara thinks that the Barbadian has the right attitude to find success in the role if handled correctly by authorities.
“I think Jason could be an awesome captain and an awesome leader,” he said. “He first of all has the ability to be in a team which is very important.”
“It is also very important that if you entrust a 23 or 24-year-old with the job of captaining the West Indies team, you have to make sure that you give him the support that is necessary. He has to have the confidence that he will be there for (an extended) period of time.
“If his performances are going to be judged too harshly then that does not make sense, as he doesn’t have the experience to do the job (at the moment).
This week Holder was named in the West Indies WorldT20 squad for India alongside Bravo and big things are expected of the men in maroon. The squad features 11 players who were part of West Indies’ title-winning side in 2012 and Lara feels that the team have what it takes to beat any opposition.
“We have some great T20 players and everybody round the world knows that.
“I’m sure the other teams are hoping that we don’t pick our best players. But if we do, everybody will be worried about the West Indies team.
“As individuals they have been world beaters in different franchise leagues and they must come together as a team. We won the tournament once and now that there are four or five more years of experience in the leagues, definitely they can do it again.
