WI must rethink player development

BARBADOS: West Indies can be a successful team in the 2007 World Cup but there must be an overhaul in the way the regional side is developed.  Legendary West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Sir Clyde Walcott made this assertion following the announcement of the allocation of World Cup matches to the respective Caribbean countries on Tuesday night last. “I think what we need to do is to rethink our position with regard to developing our players,” Sir Clyde said.

Over the past three years, many inexperienced cricketers have been fast-tracked into the regional side by successive selection panels, chaired by former Test wicketkeeper Michael Findlay and past West Indies captain and master batsman Sir Vivian Richards. But Sir Clyde, who is a former president of the West Indies Cricket Board and the International Cricket Council, believed the No 1 priority should be making the Caribbean side strong again. “We need to work harder with the players to get them tuned up for these big games (like the World Cup) but we’ve got to start winning,” he said. “Let’s try to improve the standard and general performance of our team and then we can start thinking about winning the World Cup,” Sir Clyde added.

Another West Indies legend, Sir Garfield Sobers, agreed with Sir Clyde that Brian Lara’s team need to be playing at a consistently high standard to reap World Cup glory. “Our one-day team has not been that strong. We run hot and cold and we need to prepare properly. But, I think we would have to raise our standard if we are going to even get to the semi-final,” Sir Gary said. The West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 under the leadership of Clive Lloyd but since 1983 when they were beaten by India, the Caribbean cricketers have never appeared in the final.