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By Neto Baptiste
Legendary former West Indies fast bowler, Sir Andy Roberts, is urging current and budding players to lean on the experience of former greats like himself and others when things get tough.
Speaking on the heels of the 8th annual CWI/WIPA Awards Gala held on Sunday in Barbados, during which players from the successful 1975 ICC World Cup squad were honoured alongside current players for their recent successes, Sir Andy encouraged players to look past his rough exterior.
“They don’t do it; well maybe they do it to Viv but they don’t do it with me because they probably still think I don’t talk. They look at my face and think I have my face in a certain way but that is when I am playing cricket but I don’t play cricket anymore but the beauty about it is that, if you know your game, you know your strengths, you know your weaknesses then you can ask, when you’re in a situation; how do you come out of it, what do you do?” he said.
The Antiguan posited that without players, both past and present, West Indies cricket would not exist but said players must be held accountable for their personal performances and must also understand the importance of West Indies cricket to the Caribbean and its people.
“We all believe that a lot can be done and we can’t do it without the players. I never hear the players getting criticized for not trying to keep up the standard of our cricket and that is where our cricket lies right now. If players don’t get up and take stock as to what is happening with their cricket, then our cricket is not going any further,” Sir Andy said.
Meanwhile, former captain and legendary batsman, Sir Viv Richards, said that although some regional players would seek him out for advice, he is mostly sought out by players in other parts of the world.
“It mostly happens when I am overseas, mostly in the Asian countries and you may say it’s a shyness or whatever but I do have chats with a few of our players personally, just for information. It isn’t about no coaching factor and stuff because they would have had that background. It’s about preparation when you’re in certain situations and how you get out of it; how you do the things that helps in a big way too for you to be successful,” he said.
West Indies will face Australia in the first of their three Test home series starting June 25 in Barbados.
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