Windies troubles are deep-rooted

FORMER West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft has joined the list of critics calling for the head of  Brian Lara. The calls have been vociferous after the Caribbean cricketers sunk to their second consecutive defeat in the first two Tests of the current series against England on Sunday. Earlier this week, Barbadian writer Tony Cozier called on Lara to give up the leadership of the team while former captain of the regional side Viv Richards was also scathing in his comments on the captaincy of the team. Croft stated his opinion in a column for BBC Sports, an on-line internet service offered by the London-based British  Broadcasting Corporation.

Following is the article:
Last March, after the way the West Indies had gone 2-0 down against England, I thought Brian Lara’s captaincy could not become any more ineffective or lacking in inspiration. I was wrong. Edgbaston was even worse. The tourists look out of place and bedraggled against an England team which, in my opinion, is competent but not superlative, and that hurts every West Indian greatly. Lara rescued the situation in the Caribbean with his record 400, avoiding an unprecedented series whitewash, and calls for his head were muted. Now, Sir Viv Richards, Ian Bishop and Mike Holding have all more or less suggested he should step down. When Lara was off the field at Edgbaston because of injury, Ramnaresh Sarwan had the team energised, attacking, albeit for a lost cause.

England would have made many more than 300 in the second innings had Lara been on the field all that day. He is so steeped in defence that the team is one-dimensional. Does anyone believe it when Lara suggests the team can emerge from this latest beating to regain some pride? This has been a problem for more than ten years, since the best batsmen retired and the side began to rely on the likes of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh to win matches. When a good friend of mine, a staunch West Indies supporter, bet me that the result in this series would be a 4-0 blanking, I realised just what the team is doing to its fans. It is equally astounding that the sights of England supporters are moving to next summer’s Ashes clash with Australia, in the middle of the current series.

West Indies’ problems go further than the current Test XI, with a lack of strength in depth meaning there are no candidates to replace them.  Over the last five years more than 60 new cricketers have worn the West Indies colours. In that time, the West Indies have won two Test series at home and two away — including Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Before the team can become a force again, the entire situation must be revamped, with a focus on excellence at every representative level. West Indian cricketers must be made somehow to account for their failures, with the buck stopping somewhere. I suggest that the entire Caribbean is at fault for this because for too long we have accepted mediocrity. That must stop now. We deserve much better than this.