Following the humiliation and embarrassment of West Indies cricket at Sabina Park on Monday, Cricket West Indies (CWI) has sent an S.O.S to three all-time greats. The organisation has reached out to Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards and Brian Lara to help dissect their humiliating 3-0 series whitewash by Australia, which culminated in one of the most spectacular collapses in cricket history.
Chasing 204 for victory in the final Test, West Indies were dismissed for just 27 runs – the second-lowest total in Test history after New Zealand’s 26 against England in 1955. It was the all-time lowest for the West Indies. The previous lowest was 47 when Lara captained the team against England at Sabina Park in 2004. A month later, he made the world record 400 not out at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
The debacle prompted CWI president Dr Kishore Shallow to summon an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee. He has asked the legendary trio of the game’s greatest batters to share their thoughts on the humiliating defeat and how the regional game can rebound. Sir Clive recently addressed the CWI board of directors during the gala weekend to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first World Cup triumph.
“To strengthen the discussions, I have extended invitations to three of our greatest batsmen ever: Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara,” Shallow said in a statement on Tuesday morning. The trio, who scored a combined 27 967 Test runs in their careers, will join former players Shiv Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw who already serve on the committee.
“This engagement is not ceremonial. These are men who helped define our golden eras. Their perspectives will be invaluable as we shape the next phase of our cricket development. We intend for this gathering to result in tangible, actionable recommendations.”
The humiliation on Monday came in what was the historic first Test match at Sabina Park under lights using the pink ball. Following the conclusion, West Indies captain Roston Chase said it was a chastening and a “heartbreaking way” to finish the series. He credited his bowlers for troubling the Australians throughout the series but said the batting lineup didn’t click. CWI summed up the feeling in the Caribbean in one social media post on X which read: “Absolutely gutted by today’s result”.
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