AHMEDABAD: After losing to India by an innings and 140 runs in the first Test, West Indies captain Roston Chase spoke openly about the serious financial problems and poor infrastructure that are holding back cricket in the Caribbean. He said these problems are making it harder for young players who want to make a name for themselves and a living in the sport.
The West Indies team looked terrible when they were knocked out for only 162 and 146 runs in their two innings at the Narendra Modi Stadium. India now leads the two-match series 1-0. The last Test will be held in New Delhi from October 10 to 14. The loss is the latest in a disturbing trend for the once-dominant nation, who recently had their lowest score ever in a Test match against Australia, when they only scored 27 runs.
The Financial and Infrastructure Problem
Chase, who is also on the “cricket strategy and officiating committee” for Cricket West Indies (CWI), spoke to the media. confirmed that there are many difficulties. “I don’t really want to talk about that too much, but I will say that there is obviously a financial struggle in the Caribbean,” he remarked.
The group was put together after an emergency CWI meeting with veterans like Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara. It also features former batter Ramnaresh Sarwan and current player Shai Hope. Chase pointed out that the shortage of money has a direct effect on amenities that help with performance. “I hope we do get the help they are planning to give us so that we can improve the infrastructure for cricket.” He said, “The systems in the Caribbean aren’t great when it comes to training facilities and things like that.”
The captain, on the other hand, was quick to point out that concerns outside of the game do not excuse bad play on the field. “But I’m not using that as an excuse or a way to hide from the bad performances we’ve been putting up lately. I still think it’s up to the players to find a method to score runs and take wickets, so I don’t want to talk about that too much.
Wanting to do it is there, but the skill level needs to go up.
Chase aggressively defended his team when asked if a lack of desire was a reason for their ongoing problems. He stressed that the present bunch is very motivated: “The guys want to play.” The boys are young and want to get their name out there. They desire to earn a living. “I don’t think that’s a case where they come up there and don’t train or don’t want to do their best.”
Chase’s main problem is that he has trouble using his skills and thinking for long periods of time. “But we need to get better at what we do, and if we do it for long enough, we won’t get better,” he said. “You have to do it for five days in Test cricket. You won’t be on top or even in the game if you only do it for one or two days.
The Way to “Resurrection”
Even though they lost badly and things are bad right now, the captain is still hopeful about the future of West Indies cricket. Chase was firm when asked directly if the once-dominant club might still “resurrect.”
He yelled back, “If I said no, I wouldn’t be a true West Indian,” showing the pride that is typical of Caribbean people. “We’re down right now, but there have been times when we’ve been up and other teams have been down and they’ve come back up.” I would never claim that we can’t come back to life, but we will have to take baby steps and try to find our way back up the ladder.
Chase stood by his choice to bat first after winning the toss on a fast pitch, even if it turned out to be a terrible option. He told his batsmen to work harder. “I don’t think it was a poor choice. “We saw the wicket, and even though it was a little wet, we still thought it was a good place to bat first,” he said. “We didn’t start off well, and we never really worked together, and we paid for it.”
Chase concluded by underlining his responsibility in preserving team morale: “As a captain it is my obligation to motivate the squad. No matter what situation we’re in or what occurred in the last game, it’s my responsibility and the coach’s job to get those players excited and give them the best shot.