Cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards says West Indies cricket believes the long-term planning by the Ricky Skerritt-led administration will be paramount if the sport is to rebound in the region.
Pointing to the Caribbean side’s disastrous performance at the ICC World Cup in England earlier this year and the steady slide down the rankings, Sir Viv, a former Test captain and master batsman conceded the team’s struggles had reached a new low but said he would back any initiative by Cricket West Indies (CWI) aimed at turning the situation around.
“We basically at a crossroads where our cricket is concerned and we need to find ways to get up in the rankings,” he told the Line and Length cricket program.
West Indies produced their worst-ever showing at a 50-overs World Cup last July when they won just two of their 10 matches to finish ninth of the 10 teams — only above minnows and debutants Afghanistan. They trashed Pakistan in their opener but then never won again until their final match against the Afghans, as a campaign which promised much, fell apart spectacularly.
Sir Viv, whose phenomenal 100 won West Indies the 1979 World Cup and their last to date, said it was critical the administration put the disappointment behind them and involve all stakeholders going forward.
Following the World Cup, CWI moved to overhaul the leadership infrastructure of the team, appointing Kieron Pollard as captain of the Twenty20 and One-Day-International team, while bringing back Phil Simmons as head coach on a four-year contract.
