Cricket West Indies (CWI) called for an emergency meeting in the wake of a humiliating 3-0 series defeat against Australia. While the loss has triggered concern, the decline of West Indies cricket has been evident for some time, with several players opting for franchise leagues over national duty. What made the defeat even more worse was that the West Indies got bowled in an innings which is now the second lowest record total in history of Test cricket.
Coming back to the players and board topic, the latest blow came with former captain Nicholas Pooran announcing his retirement from international cricket at just 29. West Indies legend Brian Lara squarely blamed the cricket board for the current state of affairs, asserting that CWI has failed to create an environment that encourages players to stay committed to the national team.
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“You have a lot of guys who are deciding on what to do with their careers. You have your aggressive players like Pooran who retired at 29. And honestly, it’s pretty clear why they did. There are five or six leagues around the world, and they’re able to make a substantial amount of money playing in them,” Lara said on the ‘Stick to Cricket’ Podcast, as Cricket.com.
“I have no problem with that. The truth is, I don’t think the West Indies Cricket Board or the administration has done anything meaningful to keep players loyal to West Indies cricket, unlike what boards in countries like England, Australia, or even India have done.
“So naturally, our players are going to look elsewhere. And when you see players like Kane Williamson or even South Africans making similar choices, you understand that these guys are just trying to provide for their families.”
Lara also touched on how the purpose of representing the West Indies has shifted for younger players in recent years.
“As far as West Indies cricket is concerned, this is one of our biggest challenges. In the past, we played first-class cricket—and some of us even county cricket—with the goal of making it into the West Indies team. Now, it's almost the reverse. Players are using the West Indies team as a platform—a stepping stone—to secure T20 contracts elsewhere. And to be fair, that’s not the players’ fault,” Lara said.
As West Indies cricket continues to struggle, Lara’s remarks reflect a growing concern about the board’s failure to adapt to the changing landscape of the game.
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