Brian Lara expresses concerns about franchise leagues casting a shadow over West Indies Test cricket. “We need to get youngsters to understand what West Indies cricket means and how we can protect it. ” Lara quote as saying.
Brian Lara, the West Indies cricket legend, has presented a scathing portrayal of Test cricket’s challenges in his native country. Lara ascribed this issue to the quick rise of T20 franchise leagues. Claiming that their allure is drawing young players away from the hallowed sphere of Test cricket. In reaction, he does not advocate for a purely financial battle between competing leagues. Instead, he emphasize the need to rekindle the fading spark of national pride.
Lara argued for a cultural change that begins at the grassroots level. He emphasize the importance of instilling qualities such as national pride. Cricketing heritage in young players in order to prepare them for professional cricket. The cricket maestro maintained that a better knowledge of wearing the West Indies jersey is critical to preserving Test cricket’s tradition.
“I mean, we need to face the facts. The West Cricket Board finds it tough to compete with the rich options available to our cricketers in franchise cricket around the world. First and foremost, I believe we must endeavor to retain the youth, the teenagers. We need to educate them on what West Indies cricket means and how we can defend it. ” Lara also told SEN Sportsday.
Also Visit: David Warner’s ‘stolen’ Baggy Green mystery gets solved
Australia, England develop loyalty to the sport: Brian Lara
Lara cited Australia and England as examples of establishing steadfast allegiance in players. He stood in stark contrast to young West Indian cricketers. Who are often disillusioned and prefer franchise contracts to national duty. Recognizing the difficulty of changing the current mindset, the southpaw moved his focus to the future, imagining a landscape in which allegiance to the West Indies jersey reigns.
“That is what Australia has done. ” Cricketers in Australia and England are not just paid more… They develop a sense of loyalty to their country’s sport, which we have not. For an 18- or 19-year-old to say, ‘I’m going to the IPL’ or, ‘I don’t care about West Indian cricket’. It is not only his fault. I just don’t think we’ve conveyed what West Indies cricket means to Caribbean people and why you should play for the West Indies. That’s the first thing we have to do,” he said.
Also Read: Generous Shikhar Dhawan sings Rohit Sharma praises