West Indian legend Brian Lara today said that Caribbean cricket was in "quagmire" and will remain so if corrective measures are not immediately taken up.
"We have not put in the infrastructure that's necessary. We relied on the fact that the greats like Viv Richards and Joel Garner came from nowhere. Rest of the world went into technology and academies but we did nothing. We still have not anything to prepare for future," Lara said.
"Until we do something I'm still seeing five or 10 years to make that happen. We're just going to be in the quagmire, beating some teams win some occasional series wins here and there, win the T20 World Cup, but we're not going to put it together to have a consistent side. Unless we make some firm decision and sort out at grass levels, we're going to be in quagmire," he said at a talk show, along with former India captain Sourav Ganguly.
He also slammed West Indies selectors for not picking off-spinner Sunil Narine, all-rounder Dwayne Bravo and pacer Ravi Rampaul in the touring West Indies Test squad for the ongoing series.
"The selectors have got it wrong. I don't know if they have labelled Narine a T20 or ODI bowler. He's the best in the world in that version in the game. That does not mean he would not improve his game for the Test format. Knowing that you've a Test at the Eden, where he plays for KKR, a Test in Mumbai, I see no reason why leave a successful cricketer like Narine back home," he said.
"Bravo baffles me as well. He deserves to be in any Windies team. I'm baffled just like you. They have won with this line up, but it's always going to be difficult in India. We did not turn up at the Eden at all with the intensity. Let's hope selectors get it right."
West Indies lost the first Test of the two-match series against India, which is also Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series, by an innings inside three days here.
