Brian Lara, Viv Richards to assist beleaguered West Indies crew

WICB president Kishore Shallow on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) mentioned he plans to enlist Caribbean cricket greats corresponding to Viv Richards and Brian Lara to assist a West Indian lineup that scored simply 27 runs in its second innings – one run in need of the all-time Test document for low totals — whereas dropping the third of three Tests to Australia.

The batting collapse continued a sample for the West Indian Test crew — it hasn’t gained a Test collection since 2022-23, when it beat Zimbabwe within the Caribbean.

Since then it has drawn three and misplaced 5 collection. It was swept in 3-0 over the previous few weeks at residence in opposition to Australia, culminating within the humiliating defeat within the third Test on Monday.

Shallow had seen sufficient.

“The outcome hurts deeply, not solely due to how we misplaced, however due to what West Indies Cricket has at all times represented to our individuals: pleasure, id, and risk,” Shallow mentioned in an announcement.

“There shall be some sleepless nights forward for many people, together with the gamers, who I do know really feel this loss simply as closely. We are in a rebuilding part, steadily investing within the subsequent era, and reigniting the spirit that has lengthy made West Indies cricket a drive on the earth.”

Indeed it was a drive. By the late Seventies, the Caribbean aspect was recognised as unofficial world champions, a title they retained all through the Eighties due to batters like Richards complemented by feared bowlers like Curtly Ambrose.

Now, Richards, recognized fondly at occasions as Sir Viv after receiving a British knighthood for his companies to cricket, shall be a part of the rescue bundle. Shallow mentioned he had ordered an emergency assembly to assessment the Australia Test collection, “significantly the ultimate match.”

Some of the quick bowling produced in opposition to Australia within the collection resembled the times when West Indies’ pacemen dominated the world of cricket, however batting deficiencies let the crew down badly.

“To strengthen the discussions, I’ve prolonged invites to 3 of our biggest batsmen ever: Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Brian Lara,” Shallow mentioned. “They will be part of previous greats Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw.”

Lloyd, who’s 80, was a West Indies captain and main determine of the crew’s overwhelming success in his period. He scored 19 centuries in his 110-Test profession that led to 1984. The 73-year-old Richards scored 24 centuries in 121 Test matches.

Lara, who retired in 2006, scored 34 centuries in 131 Tests. He holds the document for probably the most runs scored in a Test innings — 400 not out in opposition to England in 2004. It stays the one quadruple century in Test cricket.

It’s not clear whether or not the help group will assist in the shorter codecs of ODI and Twenty20 cricket. West Indies have had 3-0 collection losses this 12 months to England in each codecs. On the plus aspect, the Caribbean crew drew an ODI collection and gained a T20 collection in Ireland.

Shallow insists he isn’t paying lip service to the chaos surrounding the Test crew, which performed its first Test matches in England in 1928, dropping the collection 3-0.

“This engagement is just not ceremonial,” Shallow mentioned. “These are males who helped outline our golden eras, and their views shall be invaluable as we form the subsequent part of our cricket growth.”