'W.I Decline Will be Long, Long, Long' - Sobers

West Indies cricket legend Sir Garfield Sobers does not believe the Caribbean side will be a competitive international team for a "a long, long, long time."

In an interview with Australia's ABC Online, the former all-rounder and West Indies captain said the regional authorities made a huge mistake by not bringing along younger players when the team was a consistent world beater. "I think (the decline) was bound to happen because, during the year that the West Indies team was winning, they never really tried to bring the youngsters through. All they were saying was, 'You don't change a winning team...'

When I first started playing for West Indies in my early days, Ramadin, who was a very good golfer, used to turn to me and say, "Why don't you come and go and play some golf?"

And I'd say to him, "That game looks a little bit slow for me, and it looks a bit boring. You're just hitting a still ball, and that's not me because I've been playing games with so much moving ball."

He caught me at the last match of the season in Canberra against the Prime Minister's XI. Because I wasn't playing and we were very close to the golf course and he wasn't playing either and he said to me, "Why don't you come now. Let's go and try it out?"

And myself, Wes Hall, Peter Ashley and Seymour, we went to the course and it was amazing because I took two hits at this golf ball, still ball, and missed it both times. I thought to myself, "This is a challenge!" And then I went home and I started playing regularly.

And I got to really love the game because it also brings the character out in a person, more so than any other sport. Plus, you know, in cricket it doesn't matter what you do or how good you play, when you start to get a bit older and you have a few failures, the press get after you.

In golf, if you look at players like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus Gary Player and the latest Greg Norman, even although they're not playing well and shooting big scores..

QUESTION: They're still revered...

Yeah, the press don't get after them. But in cricket it's a team sport and you could go out and bowl well a batsman could snake and you get four or five catches drop off you in a day but the press never seem to take that into account. Or you go out to bat, hit a beautiful shot and somebody sticks their hand out and you're back inside.

QUESTION: You acknowledged Don Bradman as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman returned the compliment to you - he said that in fact you provided the two greatest innings that he'd ever seen up to that point. The first of them was the tied Test in Brisbane where you scored 132. What were the highlights of that innings to you?

When I went to Queensland, I really didn't have a lot of form. I went there and we lost a couple of quick wickets and I went up there and performed that well. I think it was that Sir Donald who not only predicted that innings when I first saw him but had predicted a lot more after.

When I came off, I remember meeting him. He was one of the first people I met and he looked at me and said to me, "I know you won't disappoint me." The rumours were around that I couldn't pick Richie.

And he said, "It's a good thing you couldn't pick Richie otherwise I don't know what you would have done with him."

QUESTION: In fact, the second innings that Bradman said was the greatest was that 1974 Test in Melbourne - the rest of the world versus Australia. And you scored?

(I scored) 254. Again, that was an innings...

QUESTION: You were tickled along by Lillee, weren't you?

Dennis and I had - I had a little friendly word to Ian Chappell which was talking about Dennis when he was listening. I said, "I've batted against Dennis on two or three occasions. Every time I've gone, I've got these bounces. I want you to tell him I can bowl quick too, and I think I can bat a little bit better than he can."

QUESTION: And that was within his earshot?

Yes. "So look out for me when he comes out to bat."

So I was bowling and I wasn't thinking anything about a bouncer and Tony Greig who was standing at mid- half came up to me and said, "Let him have it."

So I said, "Let him have what?" And he said, "Let him have the bouncer."

So I bowled a couple more balls and Denis got behind it very nicely, and I thought, "This is the right time." I just bowled it outside the off stump, not at him. I ran up and I let go of this bouncer, and it went true.

QUESTIONER INTERJECTS: Garry Sobers defying the law of understanding between fast bowlers.

And up to this trip, I saw Dennis in Perth and he was telling me, "I was as scared as ever. I've never seen anything went through so quick and I was going to get it with the next ball.

I said, "I knew that."

QUESTION: He came back all steamed up at you again, didn't he?

Yes.

QUESTION: What happened?

As I went in, Ian told me, he says, "What you come in here laughing for? Before Dennis reached the door, the bat hit the wall and he says, "I'll show that little so-and-so.

I haven't bowled quick to him yet." So I said, "He's got the ball, I've got the bat." So I went out and the first few balls hit the bat, and I knew that something was going to happen.

That's when Sir Donald thought it was one of the best innings that he ever saw, particularly in Australia. The beautiful thing about that innings, never mind all the other things, when I walked off, Dennis stood up there and he was one of the first to applaud and he said, "We've heard about you. I've got my little tail cut properly, but we appreciate it."

Dennis and I became very good friends.

QUESTION: That's a true sportsman, isn't it?

Oh, yes.

QUESTION: Looking at cricket today, why do you think the West Indies went into such decline? And can they find it again?

I think it was bound to happen because, during the year that the West Indies team was winning, they never really tried to bring the youngsters through. All they were saying was, "You don't change a winning team."

Even if you had two or three fellows in the team that was failing, they still played them because they were winning. I thought that was the time you should bring youngsters in and groom them along with the experienced players so they can have experience when those players leave the scene.

They didn't do that. And I think that is the problem. I think that is why today they're struggling so. Although, in my own mind, I know they have some very, very good young players.

QUESTION: When do you think we will see a West Indies cricket team similar to those of the years that you played?

I don't think you will for a long, long, long time. You don't find players like Michael - you don't find bowlers like Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Andy Roberts, Croft, Malcolm Marshall, Ambrose and Walsh and those kind of bowlers.

You don't find them in too many lifetimes.