'England series will tell how much we have progressed'
Vivian Richards still likes to play it hard, but now, as the chairman of the West Indies selection committee, the toughness is well blended with diplomacy
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Well, it's not just any one individual who is in the hot seat at the moment. Everyone who is involved with West Indies cricket, from the players on the field to the people in the establishment, are working towards the betterment of the game in the Caribbean. So it's not an `I-and-I' thing, it's more like `we'.
It is always going to be tough. It is all part of the parcel of making selections - selections are a hit-or-miss situation, and especially when you are looking to rebuild the team it is always a patient game you need to play.
What I can agree with is that it is not what it used to be. But all countries go through these periods. Yes, the present West Indies team has not quite reached the peak and we are trying to find a formula [for success]. You may compare that with the present Indian team, who haven't quite hit the straps of success which the people there are craving for. Everyone wants us to be like the West Indies team of the 1980s. Presently I believe there are a whole lot of things that need to improve in terms of the legacy which had been created by West Indies cricket.
No, I don't see it that way. The reactions come from people who are concerned enough for West Indies cricket, and these people understand the game well enough. Remember I did say it is a `we' thing, so we cannot look at any individual that we are going to blame here, and people must see it that way.
Exactly the same cooperation we are getting from the board at the moment, but we need to sit across the table and sort out issues which require urgent attention. Issues which, I am afraid, I can't discuss in public.
You hear a lot of this these days, but we shouldn't discuss that. These things will surface, especially when the team is not having the success that everyone hopes for.
If you have had individuals on whom you were banking for long periods of time and they were not coming up with the goods, then it is time to try out something new |
There are so many programs that are needed for the development of the game and the individual. Only recently we set up the academy which has paid dividends in the form of some young individuals who have emerged in the present team. Rather than lament we should look at how to improve and move forward.
Like many of my peers, I played a lot of county cricket in England regularly which gave me an opportunity to develop the sense of professionalism which helped me grow as a complete individual. Unfortunately that is not as common these days. Of course the number of teams in the domestic circuit has increased which provides them many opportunities to prove their worth before they play for the country.
If you are looking to move forward, and you have had individuals on whom you were banking for long periods of time and they were not coming up with the goods, then it is time to try out something new. This is all part of selection - you never know until you take chances.
Yes, we need to work on our fielding, but presently there are a lot of other uncertainties and we are working to eliminate them.
It is not as strong as it used to be, but at the moment we have some vibrant individuals, and this England series gives us an opportunity to see how much we have progressed from the South African tour.
I wouldn't say so at this point of time. We have a panel of judges who decided it was time to carry out a few changes and we just did that.
I only select. It is for the coach to talk about what happens on the field.
When you are rebuilding there are people who were always there before but you like to see people of your own choice - people whom you like, and with whom you are comfortable. And this requires a period of time. And my priorities are still the same: to build the team. This is what it's all about - building a squad that is consistent enough to do well.
It is a series between two teams that are fighting for supremacy and it is going to be a good series. I take great pride in being a West Indian and I back the players I selected to do well and be successful in the series.