West Indies used to be a potent force in limited-overs cricket, but in the last decade or so, that has gone down to a new low. While the side continues to put up occasional spirited performances in all three formats, the lack of consistency has hampered their progress big-time.

It definitely hurts the Windies’ greatest batter of all time, Brian Lara, who stated that pumping in more money to Cricket Windies (CWI) accounts wouldn’t solve anything.

“If you put 100 million, 200 million dollars into the West Indies’ bank account, is it going to change the way we play the game? I’m not sure. We are not harnessing the talent that we have,” Lara told BBC World Service’s Stumped podcast.

“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,” said Lara.

“The West Indies Cricket Board hasn’t done the right job in attracting these sponsors to ensure that at least grassroots, but also the academy, all the different things, the facilities, are up to standard. I think these things are very, very important.”

The Windies are currently in England for a three-match Test series and lost the first Test thanks to a comprehensive performance from debutant Gus Atkinson. Lara stated that no crowd entering the Windies’ venues cost them big time. 

“We don’t have anybody coming through the gate. I walked in Lord’s about 7.30 am on Wednesday, and outside, there were people waiting,” the former Windies skipper said.

“That was something I was accustomed to as a kid, getting to the Queen’s Park [in Trinidad and Tobago] at 05.30 and waiting for the gate to be open. That’s not happening. You get there at 11 o’clock and there is an empty stadium. You could pick a seat wherever you want. We have to try to get the crowd back.

“That will breathe the life back into the people of the Caribbean and let them understand what Test cricket is all about and you can get the world of money. You still need to sort of get the crowd more passionate about it and we haven’t been able to do that.”

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