“If you are a West Indian, and understand what cricket means to us, you have to feel that we could do a lot better than we are currently doing”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara has announced that he is open to becoming president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in the future.

Lara’s comments come after the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president, Azim Bassarath, told him to run for president.

“Mr Bassarath had suggested that I should get involved and he and his board would seriously consider supporting me,” Lara told the Trinidad Guardian. “I am here in Australia with most of the top administrators and players, and even they appear to be concerned at the state of our cricket. The way they speak is like they have little faith in our future. I am ready to get involved.

“If you are a West Indian, and understand what cricket means to us, you have to feel that we could do a lot better than we are currently doing. We have had so many talented young men coming up and suddenly, they just disappear off the scene, while our cricket continues to decline. Nobody appears to care about them.”

However, since he had his own troubles with the WICB while playing for the West Indies, Lara admitted that he will always remain biased towards the players.

“There’s so much cricket being played now where players can make a living outside the West Indies under different administration,” he said. “Yes maybe that could be a difference, but the ultimate thing is you’re playing for the West Indies, you want to play for the West Indies, you love the West Indies. And I would love one day where guys are playing for West Indies and money not being an issue because they’re making so much money outside of that.

“But that can only happen if you have the relationships with the board and all the stakeholders. There’s no trust, everybody wants their piece of the pie and that’s it. Unfortunately until we have better relationships, West Indies cricket is going to be very problematic.”