West Indies fast-bowling legend Michael Holding says the structure of cricket in the region is failing its players. He has also called for more transparency from the region's governing body, Cricket West Indies (CWI), about its financial affairs.

Holding, who was a guest on the Antigua and Barbuda-based Good Morning Jojo Sports Talk Show recently, says players across the region are opting for more lucrative opportunities in Twenty20 (T20) cricket leagues around the world instead of representing the West Indies because of the problems that exist within the structure of the game in the region.

"I think the system has failed," he said. "I don't know about the talent in the team right now. I wouldn't be able to tell you that the talent is what you'd like, but I know that the talent in the Caribbean has not faded. There's no way you can lose talent. It just doesn't disappear. But the system that we have now just doesn't bring that talent through, in my opinion, and also because of the fact that there's so much other T20 cricket going on around the world, where guys can earn a lot of money, so they disappear in that direction."

Holding, who has always been known as a critic of T20 cricket, recalls being disappointed to see how many players he considered of high talent playing for other teams while the Windies was touring at the same time.

"I don't watch West Indies cricket a lot now, I keep on telling people, I go on ESPN and I check the score, but I don't watch it," he said. "But I remember a tour of Australia some years ago where we had about nine cricketers playing the Big Bash (Australian T20 league) when West Indies was on tour there. None of them played for the West Indies, but they were in the Big Bash earning big money.

Read more at Jamaica Observer

Holding as usual not holding back.....plain and simple!!!

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

I do not agree with Mr. Holding saying that, the talent pool has not faded, if it is there, then, it must be invisible because one can see it

In reply to bird

In reply to bird

You read what he said? Read further.

West Indies needs more people like Holding involved in it's governance.

In reply to WICFan

CWI needs a Rob Key style intervention…Mr Holding would make the best candidate.

In reply to bird I was about to agree with you, but I am such an Holding fan, that I decide to try and understand. What I think is, holding believes that because of the incentives in other places, players are not single minded in their dedications and focus on WI cricket – at the international level, players have to be 110% committed and focused so as to excel. You cant be thinking/distracted otherwise. players cant be thinking what ifs

a so me seeit

I respectfully disagree completely w Mr Holding. Cricket in the 21st C is totally different than the late 20th C
West Indies players need all the intl exposure possible in all formats. All players therefore should be encouraged and facilitated to gain intl experience in all formats T20s included. How CWI adjust to and accomodate this reality is theirs and theirs alone to decide. The ECB, ACB, ICB and others have adjusted and attract their best for each format. CWI needs openess, transparency and accountability if it ever is to strengthen and have good governance.

In reply to lb

Yeah, but as you notice is one format that happening for, which causes the other formats to suffer. Our main problem is our best cricketers are not playing enough 4 day cricket.

In reply to lb
Dude if you want to be a great T20 player, then play and work with the format, if you want to be a great cricketer, you will work to be the best, working to be the best.
Michael Holding is spot on, I felt his pain in a test where Gayle got out like a school boy, a number of years earlier Gayle would had weather the storm and then attack.
You cannot practice power hitting and expect to be successful at ODI or test.