Legendary player Sir Vivian Richards urged West Indies to learn from Afghanistan and re-establish themselves as a force in ODI cricket. The West Indies and Sri Lanka, both former world champions, have failed to qualify for the ongoing Champions Trophy with WI even failing to take part in the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
“I’m just hoping that my West Indies team can take a leaf out of these guys’ book, because there is a passion and energy that the Afghanis have brought to the game,” Richards said.
“They haven’t been in the cricket world for so long as maybe some other teams around the world, but just their fighting spirit. To me, the ability to learn as the years go by, that would have given them the experience that’s needed in order for them to be where they’re at. When you can see Afghanistan in the Champions League, and the West Indies not, it means that Afghanistan is doing something right,” he added.
As compared to West Indies, Afghanistan have now become a decent force in the Asian region on the back of some consistent showing in ICC tournaments with the side eliminating England in the ongoing Champions Trophy while also making it to the semifinals of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“In order for us to get ourselves back where we once were, it is going to take maybe not just the players, but individuals from the board, people who are in responsible positions,” Richards said.
“For them to believe that this is not just the players, but it takes people from the board to identify the things that may be missing, (as to) why we are not there. I feel very annoyed with the fact that the West Indies team, with such (a) huge legacy, is not in the Champions Trophy and it hurts. It makes me feel very, very sad, because we are much better than that,” he added.
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