Lara: West Indies still lacks infrastructure

Lara: West Indies still lacks infrastructure
By RENALDO MATADEEN Monday, July 6 2015


WEST INDIES legend Brian Lara is still skeptical of the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) vision for the future and has once more called for improved infrastructure. The “Prince of Port-of-Spain” said that the WICB needed to progress much faster and develop a rigid, proactive structure if they were to keep the team at a level to challenge the world’s finest amid player disputes over the past year.

On the current situation, he stated, “I know it’s tough times. It’s a bit fragmented in terms of guys not playing and it is a bit of an uncomfortable situation. I believe that West Indies cricket has some fundamental problems. Our infrastructure is not very good and if we get this right there at the grassroots level, the young cricketers coming through would have something — a structure — to work with.”

Lara added that the board depended too much on natural talent and needed to do more to hone and refine the youth. “I think what you’re seeing now with the West Indies team, any guy who is 21 or 22 (years), I believe most of it is natural ability. I’m not sure how well that’s been enhanced and that’s been our problem. So until we get our infrastructure right, it doesn’t matter what they (WICB) do in boardrooms or what the selectors do, I think we’re just going to be spinning top in mud,” said the double world-record holder.

The left-hander posited that technology was one integral area the WICB regressed in.

“I think the game has evolved. During my period and maybe the ‘70s and ‘80s, natural ability played a vey big part in the game. Now, technology is there. Everybody knows what (the) different weaknesses of players are. They see it on computers and they study it. If you don’t bring your game up to that level, you’re going to struggle and that’s where we struggle as a board — to support our players. That technical stuff that we need to work on with the kids is missing. We need to enhance it to another level for us to be competitive,” lamented Lara.

He also backed the older players giving back to the regional game as a positive move.

“I’m sure they’re (past players) doing their part. Carl Hooper and (Curtly) Ambrose are with Guyana (Amazon Warriors) and Walsh is always around the place doing something,” he said.

The revered batsman also touched on his “Masterclass” coaching clinic in conjunction with the 2015 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair, on July 25, the day before the final. The session was previously done via video for Sky Sports and BBC but Lara said he wanted to help teach the fundamentals to local kids.

“A lot of the English kids benefit from it (Masterclass). I’ve never really done anything in the Caribbean. I’ll be able to go out in the middle and tell the kids how I bat and prepare at the beginning of my innings, show them a few shots and the way I concentrate.

“I’ll spend a couple hours with hundreds or thousands of kids, mic’d up and get them into my space and express to them in a competitive way how I did things. This is just an event and something to give back,” he concluded.

Lara is far and away more sincere than Lloyd.  it is not that Lara knows more than Lloyd..he is sincere where Lloyd is not.  Lara speaks only about one level of the problem..and that Level presents an opportunity to help correct the very problem Lloyd sights..the relative inferiority of the mental capcity of our players

if you know what the problem is and crow about it in the media why don't you have a plan to correct it..or mitigate it to the extent the wicb can make a positive difference in what is really an overall social problem ::confused::

that problem can addressed exactly in the centre of what Laras cites..the level at which the game now functions intellectually which includes the incorporation of the highest scientific capability that can be applied to the game at this time..

the purpose is the same...to win.  the Oz always did it..STUYDYING OUT A PLAYER, DECTECTING HIS WEAKNESS AND WORKING OUT EVERY WHICH WAY HE COULD BE DECEIVED TO GET HIS WICKET... OR INDUCED INTO GIVING AWAY HIS WICKET!

now the Oz have applied modern technique to this task.  it does not involve machinery for the most part save in training techniques but modern intellectual technique of social analysis. they would know every aspect of a culture to which they are opposed, the players from that society, which social classes they are from in that society and how they are as a result.  so they would study the nation, the culture, the class structure, the players and their techniques, how they think

the Oz players would not study those subjects directly but they would have access to such content and consultants who would work with cricket Oz to work out their responses or use of this information.  such information in the from of studies would be available and updated constantly by Oz authorities.  that is what governments and nations do all the time in the world.  it is easy for Cricket Oz to tap into it and to work out the ways they can use it in cricket, adding their own specific studies as it pertains to cricket

those things are easy to do theses days. the wicb can do it..can build all Lara says they can and more, except that it would use up the money they now feed off as huge salaries for themselves.

and that is why the Oz dished up the west indies so easy..because they know about us and we do not know about them.

but in the Approach to playing the OZ that is precisely what we should have done...PREPARE for them as they do for us...and that is what we should do period..PREPARE for the world of cricket same way.

now if that is done backward west indies plays would immediately get exposure and insight into the modern world, changing their thinking immediately.  in the west indies cricket can become modern, up to date and an aspect and example of the world we must build in order to survive as things now are.

the wicb can ensure that this way of doing our business filters down to every level of our game so that it takes less at the top level to finish off the players, make the totally comparable or better than other cricket nations.

I asked this question before..how did the west indies prepare for the Oz as I knew they Oz had prepared for us ::confused::
why indeed was Lehman's face constantly in his computer all day long...because he was reading the reports he had on the west indies and bringing  them into line with what he was experiencing on the ground as the games progressed.  there is always need for adjustment as you go as nothing is ever 100% in sync with what you prepared from afar

the west indies team did nothing of the kind as a result our players were at sea against the Oz.  that is why I don't blame our players much for their failure against such a team.  I know they were not properly prepared to deal with the Oz.

and Lloyd instead of opening up his rarse in public..as an independent thinker, a real west indian he should see the problems and the answer and in his position of authority start using said authority to begin making a positive difference.

by raising the level of cricket intelligence by and on which the wicb functions, by raising the preparation of our players to the rafters by systems the wicb input then we have a qualitative changing reality in our cricket.  cricket does not need to wait on the relavant general material development our our society to get the qualitative change in the players we need to win again.  cricket can do a winning  job itself

West Indies also lacks sufficient intelligent players who are mentally tough and are passionate about cricket and not just see it as a way to make money. Until the passion is there for cricket by the youngsters in the region, the West Indies will continue to struggle regardless of the infrastructure.

That is hitting the nail on its head. Perfect