Like life, the game of cricket evolves. Gone are the days when Test and ODIs were the great format of the game, now, we have one new style of cricket which is short and spicy and importantly ensures great money.
Time and again, we have seen players prioritising leagues over national duty. And one of the facts is in leagues you just have to play 20 over games and it will give you more money than your national jersey ever – sad but harsh reality of cricket and perhaps, life? Think about it.
Recently, West Indies announced their Test squad for a three-match series against England. The Test series will begin on 10th July and will culminate on 30th of July. The West Indies squad has several uncapped players and does not contain many players who have the experience of playing Test cricket in England before.
Interestingly, only four players who were in the T20 World Cup squad are named in the Test squad for England. Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, and Jason Holder. Holder was eventually replaced by Obed McCoy before the World Cup began.
Speaking to the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Brian Lara said that the current West Indies squad consists of players who would struggle to get into the T20 team. And that’s why they are focusing on playing Test cricket.
The Trinidadian cricketer who accumulated more than 11,000 words in Test cricket used Shai Hope as an example. Lara said Hope could have been a great Test captain as he was the first ever batter to score consecutive hundreds (147 and 118*) in a First-Class match at Headingly in 2017 but he no longer plays the longer format of the game.
“By the time he [Hope] scored his two hundreds at Headingly, he was considered to be a future great,” Lara said. “Today, I think we’re trying to ease him back into Test cricket, but I’m not sure he’s too interested.”
Lara said when Hope made headlines in 2017 everyone thought he’d play longer but the financial opportunities of playing league cricket has hindered his success in the longer format of the game.
“He’s going to be in the auction for the IPL; he played in the West Indies’ T20 World Cup side,” Lara said, noting his absence from West Indies’ 15-man squad for their Test series against England.
Lara even said many young players now just wear the West Indies jersey for the sake of making a name and once they are famous, they probably won’t prioritize the nation again.
“I see a lot of these youngsters still using the Test arena or the opportunity to wear the West Indies colours as a stepping stone. Somebody gets an opportunity in a 50-over game, blasts a 150, you know, someone’s gonna be looking at him at the T20 level.”
Lara concluded that we should normalise this behaviour from the players now as the T20 is here to stay.
“We have to move on. I think T20 is here to stay.”
The West Indies side will play their first Test match on 10th July at Lords which will be the last Test match for the England’s legendary pacer, James Anderson!
