PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):
FORMER WEST Indies cricket captain Sir Vivian Richards is questioning Brian Lara's absence from the forthcoming one-day international series in New Zealand.
In a clear reference to the triple world record holder being allowed to bypass the limited overs series in New Zealand, Sir Vivian told reporters at the Piarco International Airport where the Stanford Twenty/20 "Cheque Presentation Ceremony" was held Friday, that the West Indies should roster its best available team at all times.
"I would like to have seen the best team in New Zealand, because presently we have not been hitting that note that we have been accustomed to hitting over the years, I am not going to single out anyone but you know what I am talking about," Sir Vivian said.
LIGHTER WORKLOAD
The 36-year-old Lara is being given a lighter workload these days to preserve his career but Sir Vivian believes a New Zealand trip that usually proves difficult for the Caribbean side requires the strongest team.
"I would have really loved to see our best team in that part of the world, because we need our best players at this time," Sir Vivian stated.
The 53-year-old Antiguan, who captained a powerful and all-conquering West Indies team during the 1980s, also slammed the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for what he described as the inefficient manner in which they have carried out their administrative duties over the years.
He urged the current executive of the regional board to get their act together to help restore the lost pride that had once been associated with regional cricket.
Richards, appointed by Twenty/20 investor Allen Stan-ford as one of the "Legends" executing plans and development strategies for his inaugural series this summer, is in charge of developing the sport in Guyana and Montserrat.
FOCUSED
And he told CMC Sport he strongly believes that the Stanford Twenty/20 initiative will assist in keeping a generation of young cricketers focused and that with this type of assistance available to them, many will use the opportunity for advancement.
"This Twenty/20 will be good for the region, because what we are going to highlight in 2007 (Cricket World Cup), this basically, will be a prelude to what is going to take place, and the Twenty/20 also will create the kind of excitements and energies, that were missing around the Caribbean for a long time," Richards said.
Another former captain, Richie Richardson said the Twenty/20 competition will be an ideal opportunity for the players to get in shape for next year's World Cup in the Caribbean.
"Certainly, the Twenty/20 tournament will give the guys the opportunity to get into intense training for the shorter version of the game. They will have skill trainers and dieticians to monitor all the players in the competition, and certainly it adds for the guys preparing for CWC 2007," Richardson said.
