Former legendary cricketer Brian Lara, while speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, voiced his opinion on the career choices of West Indies cricketers. He said that many players are retiring early to play in global leagues and earn more money.
According to Lara, players like Nicholas Pooran no longer remain loyal to West Indies cricket due to financial challenges and the lack of effort from the Board. Pooran retired from international cricket last month at the age of 29.
“You have a lot of guys who are deciding on what to do with their careers. You have your aggressive players like Pooran, who retired at 29. And honestly, it’s pretty clear why they did. There are five or six leagues around the world, and they’re able to make a substantial amount of money playing in them,” Lara said.
To strengthen his argument, Lara compared the West Indies Cricket Board to the boards of countries like England, Australia, and India.
“I have no problem with that. The truth is, I don’t think the West Indies Cricket Board or the administration has done anything meaningful to keep players loyal to West Indies cricket, unlike what boards in countries like England, Australia, or even India have done,” he added.
Lara further backed his opinion by citing examples from other countries, pointing out that players are now looking elsewhere to support their families.
“So naturally, our players are going to look elsewhere. And when you see players like Kane Williamson or even South Africans making similar choices, you understand that these guys are just trying to provide for their families,” he concluded.
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