Kingston (Jamaica), Sep 1 (IANS/CMC) Former West Indies cricket player Michael Findlay is concerned about the contribution of the Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) to the development of the sport in the region.
Findlay, from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and a former West Indies wicketkeeper, said that while the recent tournament offered a lot of entertainment and excitement, he is still in doubt as to whether "this type of cricket will help to move the game forward", reports CMC.
Findlay, who played in 10 Test matches for the West Indies from 1969 to 1974, admitted that he is not a fan of Twenty20 cricket but was able to watch some of the matches.
"I see the stands are full to overflowing, people are enjoying themselves; but how much is this helping First Class cricket?" he asked in an interview with the VINCENTIAN newspaper.
"Even the players are getting into the entertainment aspect, but I am yet to see how this type of cricket will develop cricket in the region. People are not going to first class matches anymore, and that is also evident with the test matchesand if you can't get people to come to this type of cricket, then it will be hard to sustain the longer version of the game," he told the weekly newspaper.
But the former chairman of selectors and team manager noted some positives from the tournament, including the improvement in fielding and proactive captaincy and running between the wickets.
He said the monies being paid to players for just a few weeks are good incentives, "in comparison to what a player on a three-month tour with the West Indies made in my time".
--IANS/CMC
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