(Cricket News) “I mean, we have got to face the facts. The franchise cricket that is being played around the world, it is very difficult for the West Cricket Board to compete with such lucrative opportunities that our cricketers have,” Brian Lara told SEN Sportsday. “I think we have got to, first of all, try to hold on to the young ones, the teenagers.”
Lara blames the T20 franchise leagues for the decline of the West Indies in Test cricket and wants the cricket board to teach the kids about the importance of representing their region on a global platform.
“It is not just his fault. I just think that we have not sold what West Indies cricket means to us as Caribbean people and why you should be playing for the West Indies. That is the first thing we need to do.”
“We need to get them to understand what West Indies cricket means and how we can protect it. That is what Australia has done. Australia do not just pay their cricketers more or England pays their cricketers more they develop that sort of loyalty to the sport in their country and that is what we have not done.”
“It is impossible to do it with a present crop,” Lara stated. “I think we have got to go and get that into the schools and into the age group cricket before we bring them out on the international stage.”
“40 or 50 years ago, you may have been driven or motivated by playing for your country. But the sport today is about playing and making a living, so we have to make sure that that is part of the whole deal that we are selling.”
Lara claims that the cricket board will not be able to maintain the current crop of cricket, but he has a suggestion for revitalizing the game in the West Indies.
“No (I am not sure what they will offer), but I know what I want, I want to see some fight,” Lara said. “I want to see the talent come to. There is a lot of talent. There is always been a lot of talent, but this is a big stage.
This is not Mickey Mouse, this is the real deal and Australia are not going to give any quotas.” Australia has already won three Test matches this summer and will be looking to make it five in total.
This is the first Test between Australia and the West Indies, and Lara wants his team to put on a fight and at least take the match to Day 5.
“So, I would want to see some fighting, and when we lost the Test match in Perth 13 months ago, I was really happy of the team because I thought we played well against such a formidable Australian team.”
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