‘Find a Way’ – Lara Urges West Indies Players to Show Desire for National Team

West Indian legend Brian Lara has urged the Caribbean players to come up with a better performance when playing at the international level. He acknowledged the concerns of players related to the lack of infrastructure and financial problems, but also urged them to showcase their hunger to play for the West Indies.

The statement came after West Indies faced a humiliating defeat against India in the first test match at Ahmedabad. It was a game that was dominated by India from the start, giving the visitors no chance to show any sort of impact in the game. As a result, India defeated West Indies in 3 days by an innings and 140 runs.

"If you want to get things done, you have to have the capital to do it. So that is a major part. But at the same time, I would like to urge Roston Chase and the other guys to, do they have the cricket at heart? Do they really want to play for West Indies? And that is the most important thing because you would find a way,” said Brian Lara.

The West Indian great elaborated his point by describing the era in which former WI star players played. He said that the facilities and finances weren’t great at that time either, but the players still managed to find a way to become competitive at the international level.

"I mean we did not have better facilities 30-40 years ago. Viv Richards didn't bat on any better practice pitches or anything. We had to do the same thing, the same grind, but the passion was different. The passion to play for West Indies was different. So I urge the young players to realise that this is a wonderful opportunity,” said Brian Lara.

The legendary batter acknowledged that West Indies players are not receiving the level of compensation they should for representing the national team. This is the key reason why many young stars are opting to play franchise cricket, which offers more monetary benefits as compared to the national setup.

"I can't blame any single player for wanting to pursue cricket as a career outside of the West Indies - because the disparity in what's happening, playing five or six franchise leagues, compared to playing for the West Indies, is different [in monetary terms]. And you have to have empathy with that player. But you also have to feel that what can we do at home to make sure that that player, or future players, understand that playing for the West Indies is also very important,” said Brian Lara.

He then described the examples of Australia and England, whose players usually stay loyal to their national cricket teams. He urged everyone, from players to administration, to play their part in the revival of West Indian cricket, as it is one of the most popular sports in the Caribbean region.

"Australia is able to do it. England is able to do it, to keep their players loyal to their country. So we have to find a way to do that, and there's not pointing any fingers at anybody. It's just that we've got to come together as a team, as administrators, as coaches, as players. And really and truly, if you have West Indies cricket at heart, you will find a way to move forward," said Brian Lara.

West Indies will now play the second test against India at Delhi. It is expected that the visitors will make a strong comeback in this match, as losing it is not an option. On the other hand, India will try to win the game to seal the series, marking yet another victory in their preferred home conditions.