`Paying for our arrogance'

The late Michael Manley, the former prime minister of Jamaica, understood West Indies cricket as few have. In his magnum opus, A History of West Indies Cricket, he wrote this dedication: To Learie Constantine who opened the door of international cricket;
To George Headley who entered the building with such style;
To Frank Worrell who showed it could be occupied with distinction;
To Clive Lloyd who very nearly took permanent possession;
And, of course, to Garfield Sobers who dazzled all those who dwelt therein with the range of his talents.

Since the death of Frank Worrell, cricket in the Caribbean has not had a more venerable elder statesman than Clive Lloyd. Lloyd spoke to Wisden Asia Cricket about the decline of his country's cricketing fortunes and other matters close to his heart.

To what do you attribute the dramatic fall of West Indies cricket: arrogance or complacency?
A bit of both. We failed to plan for the future, thinking we would have players coming in to replace the greats. We did not realise that it's important to harness talent. One does not find great players just like that. A lot of our youngsters are gravitating to other sports like basketball, football, boxing, athletics and hockey. Not everybody wants to play cricket any more.

At what point did you see the fall coming and what remedial measures did you suggest?
I saw it coming 15 years ago. When I stopped playing I asked them to get an academy going. They have one now, but nobody wanted to hear me then. I was told, "Why should we follow Australia? We don't need to follow anybody." We were just arrogant and we have paid for it. Sri Lanka has beaten us 3-0. We are now bottom of the pile. It's a disgrace.

At its peak, the West Indies had the most amazing collection of players. Why were they unable to inspire the generations that followed?
Because most of us were not wanted around by the officials. They did not want us to be involved with West Indian cricket. When I look at the Australian cricketers I played against, I find that they are all involved in some way or the other with Australian cricket. Either they are on some committee, or they are into coaching, or whatever.

In the West Indies the authorities are worried about how much money we (ex-players) would make. What money are they talking about? There are very few rich cricketers. In our time we did not make the kind of money the present-day players are making. Not that I grudge them that; good luck to them. West Indies should make use of the rich experience of the former players that they have. It's not enough that Sir Garry Sobers should speak only to Brian Lara; he has to speak to all the young players so they can gain from his greatness.

What are the problem areas in the current team?
I think there are lot of players who probably don't understand their roles. They do not appreciate that sponsors want to be associated with a decent team that is winning, not just three players who do well all the time. We have lost more Test matches in recent years than in decades. And we are not losing narrowly; we are whipped 3-0 and 5-0. It's terrible.

As far as I am concerned, the players are just turning up. They don't look disappointed when they lose. I have seen players losing a match and going out to clubs. Winning is important. And winning, like losing, is contagious. Why keep bringing back old players? They should infuse fresh blood and then show the necessary patience while those young players get the experience necessary, instead of changing and chopping all the time.

What kind of hassles did you face as West Indies team manager?
I thought I would have a greater say in the selection of the team, but things turned out different. In fact, I had to tell them that I, as the manager, needed to watch cricket! What sort of a situation is it when a guy who is chairman of selectors overseas has to ask for permission to watch cricket at home? I was told that I could not be both a selector and a manager.

Is that the reason why you chucked the job?
Yeah, I was quite fed up of the system, sitting there and wasting my time. I was coach and we were doing well and eventually Malcolm Marshall was brought in as coach and I was asked to be the manager. That was about it. Nobody ever discussed it with me and asked me if I wanted to be in that position.

I lost interest, especially after they refused to play in Nelson Mandela's country unless their demands for more money were met. I will never forget that. I would have walked to South Africa if I had been in a similar position, considering what went on and what changes came about. It just showed that players at that time did not care much about those kind of things. It's not just a political thing. You have to be a Philistine not to realise what he [Mandela] had done. I was very disappointed with what our players did.

How good or bad is the talent at the grassroots level in the Caribbean?
The under-19 cricket in the past used to be exciting. That's where players like David Murray, Lawrence Rowe, Alvin Kallicharran and Brian Lara emerged. The fact that we don't see such talent emerging from the under-19 ranks, its obvious that the standard is not what it used to be. But we did well in the under-19 World Cup a few years ago nevertheless, and Devon Smith looked a good player at that time.

Why is it that most West Indian players find themselves learning the game at the highest level?
That's because of inadequate exposure to first-class cricket. Many of them play Tests and one-day internationals after just a couple of first-class games. How will they know how to build an innings? They are learning on the job, which is the worst thing that can be done. There are guys like [Glenn] McGrath who bowl one bad ball in 30, so if a batsman does not have the patience to wait for the bad ball, he is not going to make many runs.

What is your opinion of the new crop of West Indian players?
They are not making too many runs. [Ramnaresh] Sarwan is the only one who looks head and shoulders above the rest of the newcomers. Technically he looks good, but he often fails to carry on and get a big knock. He, too, ends up getting frustrated because he does not get as many bad balls as he is used to getting back home.

How much has the quality of wickets to do with the decline of West Indies cricket?
I think it's time we thought about hothouse pitches like the ones they have in New Zealand. Those have got the kind of bounce that encourages both the fast bowlers and spinners. The batsmen, too, will learn to cope with quick and bouncy tracks as there will be more guys running in and giving them a torrid time. Flat and low wickets help nobody; the fast bowlers will be discouraged and the quality of batsmen produced will also be substandard.