Following the West Indies Test team’s awful showing against Australia at Sabina Park, where they were bowled out for just 27 runs, former captain Clive Lloyd is asking cricket officials to seriously rethink the sport in the Caribbean.
The 27-run total, just above the lowest score in Test history (New Zealand’s 26 in 1955), has caused worry in the cricket world. Cricket West Indies (CWI) has asked Lloyd, along with Sir Viv Richards and Brian Lara, to join an emergency meeting to talk about the future of West Indies cricket.
In a statement to ESPNcricinfo, Lloyd said that there needs to be honest thought and big changes.
We have to check out everything about West Indies cricket, from the very beginning to the international level. Everything needs a close look. West Indies cricket matters a lot. It has helped the people here so much, and we have to do what we can to bring it back, he said.
Lloyd, who was the West Indies’ captain during their great time in the 1970s and 80s, said he’s ready to help if he can. He thinks the Test team’s batting especially needs quick help. Just Brandon King and Anderson Phillip had averages above 20 during the series, with King’s 75 in Grenada being the highest score from either side. The team’s issue with batting for a long time, shown by the collapse, has made clear some problems with how they play and think.
Lloyd said that they need batters who are more disciplined and patient, who can stick around and wear down the bowlers.
We need players who will bat ugly if needed, stay at the crease, and wear down the bowlers. We haven’t been doing that. We’ve lost that ability to fight and stay in, he said.
He also agreed with head coach Daren Sammy that the pitches in the Caribbean and the way domestic cricket is set up need work. Lloyd wondered if there’s enough good cricket being played at school, club, and first-class levels, and if the pitches are helping players learn the skills they need for Test cricket.
We have to get back to the basics. Are our young players getting the right kind of cricket? Are our pitches helping them learn how to build innings or bowl long spells? The thinking part of our game needs to get better too.
The West Indies have finished eighth in all three World Test Championship cycles. Their coming tours to India and New Zealand don’t offer much chance for a quick comeback. Lloyd, who led the West Indies to victory in the first Cricket World Cup in 1975, says the region still has talent, but big changes are needed now.
I’m always here to help in any way. We’ve been playing top-class cricket for almost 100 years. We need to get this right.
As the Caribbean thinks about its cricket history, Lloyd’s words remind everyone that history isn’t enough. It’s time to rebuild.