da jogodeouro： West Indian batting genius Brian Lara has called for a fundamental re-thinkon the direction and development of the game in the Caribbean following histeam’s three-nil whitewash in Sri Lanka
Charlie Austin05-Dec-2001West Indian batting genius Brian Lara has called for a fundamental re-thinkon the direction and development of the game in the Caribbean following histeam’s three-nil whitewash in Sri Lanka.Lara who dominated the series with the bat, scoring 688 runs, including twocenturies and one double ton, also claimed his "door was open" to the youngplayers should they need any advice and admitted that he would trade in allhis runs to start the series again."I was very disappointed that we weren’t able to draw a Test match or evenlook like winning one," he said."The West Indies are known for going overseas and winning emphatically andthis is not happening. We have got to put our heads together back in theCaribbean and show that we can do something about it."I don’t know what we can do at present. The reality is that we have got alot of young and inexperienced players. I remember my apprenticeship on theoutside looking in and the eagerness I had to play Test cricket. At themoment a number of young players are doing their apprenticeship whilstplaying and they are learning. We have to hope that whilst we are losingTest matches now that things will work out."But he admitted that frequent defeats could have a negative impact on theplayers and said: "I don’t how they are going to be affectedpsychologically."In the short term he hoped the youngsters would draw on the experience ofpast West Indian cricketers, including him."My door is always open," he said. "The young players have got to realisethat we have players around them who have played a lot of Test matches -including the likes of Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Roger Harper, CarlHooper, Viv Richards and myself – and that experience should be used.Personally I have not had many guys coming to me and asking what it is allabout. I would like to see more than that from the young players. When I wasyounger Viv Richards couldn’t keep me out of his room because I wanted toknow all about Test cricket and how to be successful. At all levels we needthe input of ex-cricketers. We need to have people thinking about cricket.In the long run, though, he believes the system in the Caribbean needs to bereviewed so that the huge natural talent available at junior levels istransformed into Test success."We have got to put our thinking cap on," he said. "It is not something thatone or two people can solve. We have to see if we can get more money intothe game and what other things we can do. All the other countries are doingthat.One thing I can say is that West Indies cricket has always had the mosttalented cricketers in the world as teenagers. What happens after that isthat is our problem. How are we going to make them grow into internationalcricketers. Test cricket is a mans game, its not for little boys."Sri Lanka are not being successful just because of natural ability. Theyhave been planning for this over a number of years and now it is coming tofruition."It may take five more years but there has to light at the end of thetunnel."