Lara urges lowly Windies to start over

Former left-hand batsman captain says the mindset of the players under the age of 25 is possible

HOBART: Hobart, Australia, Dec 10, 2015 (AFP) - West Indies great Brian Lara on Thursday urged his country's cricket board to toss out the current generation and start over again with a new team.

The West Indies are a shadow of their former glories and are now ranked above only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, winning just four of their last 20 Tests.

"I'd check the age of players -- anybody under 25, you still have quite a bit of time and you could change their mindset around," Lara told Fox Sports.



"Above 25 and onwards, they're looking at the exit door and it's very difficult as they're already set in their way of thinking."

Lara, 46, who played 131 Tests and scored 11,953 runs, also questioned the passion of some of the current players.

Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said he would like to see former limited-overs captain Dwayne Bravo and current West Indies squad member Marlon Samuels step up and lead with passion.

But Lara countered: "They don't know West Indies cricket, they don't have an understanding of the history, so how could they be passionate?



"They just want to know where they can get the next cheque to pay their bills -- which is understandable.

"But you've got to play a sport because of the passion you develop over the years."

A number of potential West Indies stars, including Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, will feature in this southern summer's Twenty20 Big Bash League in Australia as their struggling Test team tours the country.

The opening Test started in Hobart on Thursday with the tourists in danger of a thrashing.

However Lara says it was not just the players who are to blame.

"I think bad governance. I think the West Indies Cricket Board has faltered over the years," he said.

"We've had the same sort of thinking from the 1970s right through until now. There's nothing new going on in West Indies cricket, especially at administrative level.

"The guys don't trust the board anymore. They actually don't trust the players' association. So what choice do they have?"