‘Radical changes needed to save Windies cricket’

Lloyd, now a well respected International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee, pointed to the weak domestic structure in the region, the lack of ‘A’ team tours and the absence of West Indies players in County Cricket, as few of the problems that existed.

"We need to be working towards some more ‘A’ team cricket and we have to strengthen our domestic cricket," Lloyd told BBC’s World Service.

"We need to get coaches who have a good track record into our game and singing from the same hymn sheet."

Lloyd, who scored 7,515 runs in 110 Tests for the West Indies between 1966 and 1985, said that the dearth of West Indian cricketers in County Cricket was also a contributing factor to the Windies’ recent woes on the playing field.

He then called for radical changes if Windies cricket is ever to get out of its current slump.

"We have one or two good little guys but too many are learning the game on the job, so to speak." Lloyd said.

Lloyd said almost every other Test nation was well represented in the English domestic game, except West Indies. "Maybe (the counties) don’t think their cricket is good enough," he said.

"Something our players should think about is being a winner — then you win all round. When we were winning everyone wanted our players, now we are not winning anything, nobody wants our players."

"Winning, like losing, is contagious and nobody wants to be involved in West Indies cricket if we’re not winning," Lloyd added.

When playing in different conditions against different types of bowlers, the Windies legend said, you learn to be more professional and have more discipline — that’s what county cricket is all about.

But there were also solutions closer to home, he insisted. "We need to be working towards some more A team cricket and we have to strengthen our domestic cricket," said Lloyd.

The Windies are in its worst ever one day international slump. On Sunday, the West Indies lost their ninth consecutive one-day international as Pakistan won in St Lucia by 22 runs.

The team are also a poor eighth in the ICC Test Championship, with only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh ranked lower.