Fast food to blame for Caribbean's lack of fast bowlers

Richie Richardson: 'They do not train as hard as in the past, or maybe it's due to too much of fast food' © Getty Images

While many in the Caribbean dwell on the reasons for the dearth of fast bowlers in the region, Richie Richardson, the former West Indies captain, thinks he knows the answer - fast food.

"They do not train as hard as in the past, or maybe it's due to too much fast food," Richardson told newindpress.com. "We need to make sure they follow the right methods and diet if they have to last longer.

"We can be back on top if the administrators can sort out the problems. We are a poor country, but we should have the infrastructure and a proper coaching system in place."

Richardson also slammed the current players, accusing them of being too greedy. "They are the second-best paid in the world though they rank only No 8. The board is not that rich, but the players, despite not winning, want more money."

And he added that he remained unconvinced about Brian Lara's captaincy. "Lara is a shrewd person, but lacks support from the players," he explained. "The talk is that Lara as a player did not support his captains. So it would be difficult for him to get support from the players. [Ramnaresh] Sarwan appears to be a good captain and is young, but the board wanted instant results and so appointed Lara again. Instant result is not the cure."