With West Indies cricket slipping into a deep-rooted crisis, batting legend Brian Lara has appealed to Cricket West Indies (CWI) to bring former cricketers Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard on board to help elevate the standards of the current generation of players.
“An honour to be called upon to contribute to the future of West Indies cricket, particularly at a time as pivotal as this,” Lara said immediately after the end of the CWI conference following the team’s debacle against Australia, losing two Tests and five T20Is.
Lara added, “I do not take lightly the responsibility of offering whatever insight or assistance I can. The opportunity to serve is something I embrace wholeheartedly, and I remain committed to the cause.”
Bring in Gayle, Bravo and Pollard
Lara insisted that it is time for West Indies to opt for a more “expansive and inclusive approach”, while stating that the issues did not just confine to on-field tactics and technique.
“We must recognise that the challenges confronting West Indies cricket extend far beyond inconsistent performances on the field. They are deeply rooted in cultural, psychological, and structural shifts that have evolved over the past two decades. If we are truly committed to reversing this decline, then we must be prepared to draw from a wider pool of lived experience and contemporary insight,” Lara wrote on Instagram.
Lara said that modern-day stalwarts Gayle, Bravo and Pollard bring in a better understanding of the younger generation, and the trio could improve communication.
“In particular, I believe former players such as Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard possess a unique and timely perspective that can prove invaluable. These men have not only played at the highest level, but have done so in an era that reflects the modern athlete’s psyche, ambitions, and motivations. Their proximity to today’s players — in terms of generational alignment and shared dressing rooms — gives them an authentic understanding of what drives, distracts, or disillusions the modern West Indian cricketer.
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“The time to act is now, but we must act together,” concluded Lara.
