Garner blames T20 mindset for WI Test woes

Garner, currently serving as West Indies team manager, said the Caribbean was losing too many of its young cricketers and T20 cricket had only served to perpetuate the problem.

“When you look at our cricket, we’re challenging up to Under-19 (level). When you look at every world competition, West Indies are there. Where we have the challenges is when we go away,” Garner said.

“I think everybody looks at the T20 cricket and they want to play the T20 format of the game instead of playing the longer version. And it’s a matter of choice – why work for five days when you can work for three hours.

“I think that’s the mentality and it’s something we have to try and change, in terms of how our players look at the cricket and the type of cricket our players want to play.” While West Indies’ Test fortunes have declined significantly over the last two decades, their stock in the shortest format has risen considerably.

Only last April, they became the first nation to won the T20 World Cup twice, when they beat England in dramatic final in Kolkata.

They had beaten hosts Sri Lanka to win their first T20 title in 2012.

In contrast, they languish at number eight in the Test rankings, just a few ratings points above minnows Bangladesh.

The glitzy Caribbean Premier League has also emerged in recent years as a success, and has been filling stadia around the region while the First Class tournament continues to be poorly attended.

Garner, a West Indies Cricket Board director and the president of the Barbados Cricket Association, said tough decisions needed to be taken.

“Drastic situations call for drastic measures and while T20 cricket is a money-spinner, a money-earner, I think if we want to be at the top of the world we have to do things a little bit different,” the 63-year-old said. “(We have to) get used to playing the longer version of the game, get people to become more professional and I think if we can get them to become more professional, then performances will improve.” (CMC)