West Indies cricket revival plan: Lara, legends chart long-term roadmap
West Indies chart revival roadmap after 27 all-out shock, Lara urges modern approach
The wounds from West Indies’ 27 all out against Australia in June are still raw, but Cricket West Indies (CWI) has used the humiliation as a turning point.
An emergency two-day meeting in Trinidad – attended by legends Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, head coach Daren Sammy, and the current CWI leadership – has ended with the outline of a revival plan. The public details are sparse, but the mood is clear: the decline is systemic, the fixes will be long-term, and the work starts now.
‘We’re not on a level playing field anymore’ – Lara
Speaking after the meeting, Lara pulled no punches.
West Indies, he said, are playing catch-up in areas that now decide elite cricket – technology, analytics, high-performance systems – and can no longer rely on raw skill alone.
“Back in the days when skill was the prominent factor, we excelled. But the game has evolved… we have to see a new way of finding ourselves back to being very competitive,” Lara said.
“Other nations are far ahead in these areas. We need to find out the current motivations for youngsters – it’s not always wearing the maroon 365 days a year – and see how West Indies cricket can still benefit from them.”
He acknowledged the hard reality: now, franchise leagues like the IPL or BBL are high on the priority list for young players and even their families. To convince them to commit to West Indies cricket, the board needs to address both pride and pathways.
CWI’s priority list – a ‘hundred things to improve’
CWI chief executive Chris Dehring admitted they’ve identified roughly 100 issues that need attention. The top five include:
Facilities at every level – from grassroots to elite
Quality and availability of practice pitches across the region
Stronger domestic tournaments to expose players to higher standards earlier
Addressing skills deficiencies that become clear only at international level
Strength and conditioning systems for youngsters, ‘A’ teams and seniors
The centrepiece of the plan is a new high-performance centre in the Caribbean – a prototype to be replicated in other territories – along with formal academy structures to document and teach "the West Indies way" from junior level.
At a glance: The proposed rebuild pillars
Focus Area | Proposed Action |
|---|---|
Infrastructure | Upgrade training and match facilities region-wide |
Player Pathway | High-performance centre; academies in multiple islands |
Domestic Structure | Improve tournament standards, competition intensity |
Skills & Fitness | Year-round S&C support; targeted skill coaching |
Culture & Identity | Reinforce pride in representing West Indies |
From Sabina Park slump to present reality
The meeting was triggered by the historic low at Sabina Park, where Australia bowled West Indies out for 27 in the third Test – the lowest innings score in nearly 70 years and second-worst ever. The scoreline was symbolic, but as Lara noted, “If it was 57 or 107, would we feel better? I don’t think so.” The issue was not that single collapse, but the sustained slide in Test competitiveness.
Since that series, West Indies have managed just two wins in ten white-ball matches. Director of cricket Miles Bascombe admitted the problems run “across our cricket system” and that a “holistic solution” is required.
The franchise lure vs national pride
The conflict between lucrative T20 league contracts and full-time national duty is not new, but it’s now sharper than ever.
Names like Andre Russell and Sunil Narine are familiar absentees from Test squads, focusing on leagues worldwide. Even at 29, Nicholas Pooran stepped away from international cricket with his prime years ahead.
CWI’s own leaders know they can’t match league money. Bascombe’s answer is to sell the “pride in performance and representing West Indies”.
Clive Lloyd put it bluntly:
“People must realise T20 is an exhibition and Test cricket is an examination. When you’re offered that kind of money, most will take it. We’ve got to keep who we can, teach them the right things, and hope our cricket stays in shape.”
The road ahead – long, but necessary
The suggestions from the meeting will now go through CWI’s internal process before being made public. Lloyd called for ICC “special dispensation” – additional funding in recognition of West Indies’ historical contribution to the sport – to help build the needed infrastructure.
For Lara, the task is as much about attitude as resources: understanding what drives players today and making the West Indies badge matter again, even in a commercialised cricket economy.
Key quotes
Brian Lara: “It’s a long road… to be a competitive nation again, we’ve got to address these situations quickly and hope to reap benefits in the years to come.”
Chris Dehring: “From facilities to domestic quality to skills deficits, we have a hundred things to improve.”
Miles Bascombe: “We will never match franchise salaries; the currency must be pride.”
Clive Lloyd: “T20 is an exhibition, Test cricket is an examination.”
If CWI can turn its long to-do list into funded, executed action – with a clear player pathway, modern training, and a stronger domestic base – the hope is the next generation can remember West Indies as a force, not just a legacy.