Brian Lara, a West Indies great, does not believe that simply investing more money will fix their current Test cricket challenges.
They are ranked ninth in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test rankings, having been a formidable force in the 1980s, when they set a record with 11 straight Test victories.
In contrast, they lost all three Test series in 2023, although did win their first red-ball game in Australia since 1997 earlier this year.
“If you put 100 million or 200 million dollars in the West Indies’ bank account, will it change the way we play the game?” “I’m not sure,” Lara said on BBC World Service’s Stumped program.
“We are not harnessing the talent that we have.”
A few of Windies players, including Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope, are preferring to play just white-ball cricket internationally, allowing them to compete in franchise leagues around the world.
Other sports, like as athletics, are popular throughout the Caribbean, affecting the talent pool.
“Obviously, cricket has been diluted by the number of different sports and different opportunities for kids, but I still believe that corporate West Indies have got to get involved,” according to Lara.
“The West Indies Cricket Board hasn’t done a good enough job of attracting these sponsors to ensure that not just the grassroots, but also the academy, all of the other things, and the facilities, are up to par. “I believe these things are extremely important.”
Prior to the start of the Test against England at Lord’s, their current top five had combined for 96 Test appearances, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite accounting for 89 of them.
In comparison, England’s top five had competed in 259 Tests.
The T20 World Cup was recently held in the Caribbean, with India defeating England in the final to win their first international competition in 13 years.
Aside from when the hosts were there, crowds were generally relatively small.
“We don’t have anybody coming through the gate,” she remarked.
“I walked into Lord’s around 7.30 a.m. on Wednesday, and there were people outside waiting.
“That was something I was used to as a child, coming to Queens Park [in Trinidad and Tobago] by 05.30 and waiting for the gate to open.
“That isn’t happening. When you arrive at 11 o’clock, the stadium is empty. You can sit wherever you wish. We need to strive to reclaim the audience.
“That will re-energize the Caribbean people and teach them about Test cricket, and you will make a lot of money.
“You still need to sort of get the crowd more passionate about it and we haven’t been able to do that.”
