"Do they have cricket at heart? Do you play for West Indies?": Lara poses straight question to Captain Roston Chase

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 8 (ANI): West Indies batting stalwart Brian Lara acknowledged that the lack of funds and technology are contributing factors in the team's sharp decline, but also called upon the players to take onus and show passion to compete with better sides.

Once considered to be a cricketing juggernaut, with legends Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, and many more dominating the world of cricket. The West Indies have lost their pride, chasing lost golden days, and the current skipper, Roston Chase, has become the inheritor of the lost glory.

After the West Indies slumped to a mammoth defeat by an innings and 140 runs against India in Ahmedabad, incumbent captain Chase singled out the "infrastructure problems" and the constant "struggle for finances" in the Caribbean. In reply, Lara pointed out that, despite lacking resources, there was a stark difference in passion.

"If you want to get things done, you have to have the capital to do it. So that is a major part. But at the same time, I would like to urge Roston Chase and the other guys to do they have the cricket at heart? Do they really want to play for the West Indies? And that is the most important thing because you would find a way. I mean, we did not have better facilities 30-40 years ago. Viv Richards didn't bat on any better practice pitches or anything. We had to do the same thing, the same grind, but the passion was different," Lara said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.

The Men in Maroon have struggled against sides that carry significantly less firepower than they do. Players opting out of central contracts and retiring from international cricket, with Nicholas Pooran being the latest example, have hurt their cause. Even the recent 2-1 T20I series defeat against Nepal has served as a reminder of the current plight of cricket in the Caribbean.

"The passion to play for the West Indies was different. So I urge the young players to realise that this is a wonderful opportunity. And I am almost sure that every single one of their parents would have had in the back of their mind their son playing for the West Indies, their son doing well for the West Indies, because it meant a lot back in those days. So I agree with [Chase on West Indies' struggles for finances], but I still believe there is an onus on each young player to create that love and desire to play for West Indies," he added.

Lara believes that, considering the current state of West Indies cricket, it is understandable for players to seek lucrative contracts in franchise cricket. He urged the West Indies Cricket Board to find solutions to tackle the monetary problem.

"I can't blame any single player for wanting to pursue cricket as a career outside of the West Indies, because the disparity in what's happening, playing five or six franchise leagues, compared to playing for the West Indies, is different [in monetary terms]. And you have to have empathy with that player. But you also have to feel that what can we do at home to make sure that that player, or future players, understand that playing for the West Indies is also very important," Lara said. (ANI)

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