Alvin Kallicharran feels West Indies need more regional coaches

West Indies cricket has seen little joy in Test and One-Day International (ODI) format recently. They have done exceedingly well in the Twenty20 (T20) format though. Former West Indies batsman and legend Alvin Kallicharran wants to see more regional coaches involved in West Indies cricket. He believes that this will be essential to West Indies revival.

According to a report on CricketCountry, the former captain stated that West Indian coaches would be better able to communicate with regional players, and pointed out that outstanding former players were best suited for these coaching roles.

He added, “Coaches should have to communicate with environment. The coaches we need must be involved in the environment that [has] produced. They must know how the West Indian people operate, how to handle them and that’s what we need [to know] – how to handle our own people. And don’t tell me the people who made West Indies cricket successful, that they can’t be coached.”

Former West Indies fast bowler and coach, Ottis Gibson parted ways with the West Indies team last August and since then team is without a head coach. Prior to Gibson’s appointment, the West Indies were coached by Australians John Dyson and Bennett King.

Kallicharran said one of the keys, however, to unlocking the potential in West Indies cricket was a return to grassroots cricket. “We want to see the West Indies in a winning way again but you have to go back to grassroots cricket and you will see what you get. That’s all you need. And don’t tell me there are no facilities for us to produce cricketers”, said the 65-year old.

Kallicharran remains a celebrated figure in West Indies cricket history, playing 66 Tests and gathering 4,399 runs. An elegant left-hander, he got over 32,000 first class runs, with 87 centuries. Presently, Kalicharran lives in North Carolina, United States, and is involved in coaching cricket among youth around the country.