Former West Indies captain and National Hero, Sir Vivian Richards, had some harsh words for the administrators of West Indies cricket following the senior team’s poor showing against England during their recent three-match ODI home series.
West Indies were defeated 3-0 in the series with their latest being a 186-runs loss in Barbados, their worst ever against England.
Sir Viv believes the team’s performance is a reflection of how the sport is being governed at the regional level.
“When you look at the second match, we were in a wonderful position for us to have accomplished levelling the series here in Antigua, but that didn’t happen. As I said before — and maybe people might think I am having a knock at the Board again — but unless you get some proper leaders at the top, then our cricket is going to take some time to get back to its rightful status,†he said.
Sir Viv, who amassed 6,721 runs in 187 ODIs, said members of the board must speak out about the ills affecting the game and its players in the region.
“Sometimes, the folks that are employed by the West Indies Cricket Board, they are individuals in my opinion who have been failures; individuals who can’t work in any other environment, so this is why they would put up with any and everything,†he said.
“West Indies cricket is their livelihood so they are a bit afraid in my opinion, to say the things that are sometimes affecting them and is affecting West Indies cricket.â€
England equalled their highest-ever total against the West Indies and the highest ever at the historic Kensington Oval with 328 all out off their 50 overs.
Having never successfully chased a total in excess of 300 to win an ODI, West Indies buckled under the weight of history and collapsed for 142 all out off 39.2 overs – narrowly avoiding their lowest-ever venue total of 141, 23 years ago.
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