‘Laid-back temperament will not get you results’ – Sunil Gavaskar offers advice for West Indies cricket’s resurrection
Sunil Gavaskar (Source: Twitter)
West Indies failed to qualify for the ODI World Cup for the first time in history. Experts and fans called it the lowest point of West Indies Cricket. Similar was the condition when they played against India in the first Test at Dominica. They suffered a loss by an innings and 141 runs as they were comprehensively out-played by the visitors. As such, India Test great Sunil Gavaskar offered his suggestion for a resurrection of West Indies Cricket.
“It is where I went for my first tour and I know a lot of people there,” Gavaskar said at Idea Exchange by The Indian Express, recalling the old times. “I know the kind of legacy those wonderful cricketers left behind. There’s a pretty laid-back temperament which is fantastic but when it comes to playing sometimes a laid-back temperament might not get you much results. To Clive Lloyds, Malcolm Marshalls, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Michael Holdings, Garners, the wonderful era for West Indies Test cricket, every Test match that they played, was extra income.”
‘Increase the Test match fees but don’t give them central contracts’ – Sunil Gavaskar
On the current scenario, Gavaskar added, “Today the West Indian players, whether it is Test player or T20 player, all the players all over the world are guaranteed by their central contracts, a hundred thousand dollars or whatever. But if you know the West Indian temperament and you have that much in the bank before you score a run or take a wicket, I am not too sure about a lot of them if it actually matters whether they score runs or not. Because the money is in the bank. My suggestion would be to increase the Test match fees but don’t give them central contracts. You are paid for your performance. Then probably they will have a different attitude.”
The team will now be in action in the second Test of the multi-format India tour of the West Indies. The match will be played at the Queen’s Park Oval on July 20, Thursday. Following this, the two teams will compete in three ODIs followed by five T20Is.
