West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara has urged Cricket West Indies (CWI) to seek the intervention of Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, and Dwayne Bravo to help revive cricket in the islands. This plea follows the West Indies' disappointing performance against Australia, where they lost two Tests and five T20Is. Lara believes that these modern-day greats possess a unique and timely perspective that can prove invaluable to the current generation of cricketers.
Lara emphasized the importance of adopting a more "expansive and inclusive approach" to address the challenges facing West Indies cricket. He believes the problems extend beyond on-field tactics, encompassing cultural, psychological, and structural shifts that have occurred over the past two decades. To reverse the decline, Lara suggests drawing from a wider pool of lived experience. He highlighted that Gayle, Bravo, and Pollard have played at the highest level in an era that reflects the modern athlete's mindset, ambitions, and motivations. Their closeness to today's players gives them an authentic understanding of what drives, distracts, or disillusions the modern West Indian cricketer. Lara feels their involvement could improve communication within the team.
Lara made these recommendations after participating in a two-day emergency meeting convened by CWI president Dr. Kishore Shallow. The meeting, held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, aimed to address critical challenges and formulate structural reforms for the sport in the region. Participants included members of the Cricket Strategy & Officiating Committee, former West Indies players like Dr. Desmond Haynes, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Ian Bradshaw, and special invitees Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards.
Lara, holder of the world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket (400 runs), stated it was an honor to contribute to the future of West Indies cricket, especially at such a pivotal time. He doesn't take lightly the responsibility of offering insight or assistance and remains committed to the cause.
Lara isn't the first to suggest that Pollard and Bravo could have helped the West Indies. Back in 2015, Lara criticized West Indies selectors for omitting Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo from the World Cup squad.
