Chase-led West Indies would find a way if they have cricket at heart: Brian Lara

Mumbai, Oct 7 (PTI) Legendary Brian Lara on Tuesday said the struggling West Indies would "find a way" in getting their act together in Test cricket if they really had "cricket at heart", notwithstanding the regional team's longstanding issues including talent drain, lack of infrastructure and shaky finances.

It is well documented how the Caribbean players, always in hot currency in the franchise-based T20 competitions around the world, have not shown the patience to excel in the longer formats.

“I would like to urge Roston Chase and the other guys to (tell), do they have 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. You would find a way,” Lara told the media during the CEAT Cricket Rating awards here.

“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." “I urge the young players to realise that this is a wonderful opportunity." Lara questioned the viability of Test cricket beyond the Big Three while challenging the West Indies, currently on tour of India for a two-Test series, to showcase where their passions truly lie.

Citing the example of the first Test between India and West Indies which ended inside three days in front of nearly-empty Ahmedabad Stadium — Lara said generating interest for the conventional format among fans is the key.

“When you look at the Big Three, you look at England versus Australia in the Ashes, or just recently, India playing in Australia (or) India playing in England, and you would think that there is no greater day of cricket to watch,” Lara said.

“I’ve watched India versus England at Lord’s and there is nothing to compare it. I hope that Test cricket does not die, but the viability of it in other nations, the smaller nations, the nations with the inability to bring huge crowds to the game or bring big sponsors to the game, you're really and truly testing their funds.” “I would rather like to find a solution to the problem than to say, 'I give up and that's the end of it'. The interest (in Tests in West Indies) is low. If you're not doing well as a nation and if something else is popping up that's more exciting, you can see it in the crowds." Lara said he appreciates the fact that he spent his 17-year-long career playing Tests.

“Not just in the West Indies, we just saw a Test match in Ahmedabad where literally there is no one at the Test match. It is waning, it is a situation. I appreciate the fact that my 17 years were spent playing majorly Test cricket and I would never give that up,” he said.

Lara, who is among the members of CWI’s panel formed after West Indies were bowled out for their lowest-ever Test total of 27 in July, said the board needs to find a way to not lose Caribbean players to franchise cricket.

“We discussed the state of West Indies cricket. The aberration of scoring 27 -- nobody wants to do that. But that was not just the issue,” he said when asked what all points were discussed in that emergency meeting.

“The issue lies very deep and it's something that I would say (that the) Cricket West Indies is working on in terms of finding a better footing in terms of the foundation of the game, how we grow the game, the facilities that we have to improve on and finding a way for cricketers to be a lot more competitive." “There's also an issue, of course, with franchise cricket and the way how they pull some of the players away, weakening our strength.

"We have to find a way to do that in terms of there's not pointing any fingers at anybody." Amazing that Abhishek Sharma wants to emulate his T20 success in Tests =========================================== Lara, meanwhile, heaped praise on India opener Abhishek Sharma with whom he spent some time in the Sunrisers Hyderabad camp.

“He's something very special. Yuvraj Singh had a big influence on him. His bat speed, the way he hits the ball, the way he hits through the ball…” he said.

“An amazing thing (is that) he would give me a call and even though with the success that he's having in T20 cricket, he still wants to find a way to get into the Test team which is great for someone like that to think that big, is very special.” PTI DDV BS BS