During the emergency meeting, called by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), after their side rolled over for 27 runs during the third pink-ball Test against Australia in Jamaica, in the presence of Brian Lara, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and current head coach, Darren Sammy, the future roadmap to success was discussed.

Since the end of the Test series, West Indies lost their five-match T20I series at home against Australia by 0-5 margin before losing the T20I series against Pakistan. However, they won the ODI series against the Mohammed Rizwan-led side by a margin of 2-1. Lara questioned whether the players still have the same motivation to play for the national side, apart from all the franchise T20 leagues.

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“It's been that case for years, where we are not on the same level-playing field as other playing countries. Back in the days when skill was the prominent factor, we excelled; we were the best team in the world. But the game has evolved, and technology and analytics, and we now have to see a new way of finding ourselves back to being very competitive.” The former West Indies captain expressed.

Brian Lara questions West Indies players’ motivation between franchise leagues and national side

It’s not a new issue among the modern-day West Indies players, who, on many occasions, have prioritized the T20 leagues around the world over the chance to represent their national side. That’s where they missed several key figures and suffered as a team.

“What motivates youngsters today? It might not be just representing the West Indies 365 days of the year. It might be playing in an IPL, a BBL, or something else. We have to find out those interests and see where West Indies cricket can still benefit from the youngsters. It's a long road; it's not going to happen tomorrow.” Brian Lara addressed.

“West Indies cricket is still very important in the minds of all youngsters, male and female, and when looking at cricket as a career. I think you have to understand that in different eras and decades, there are different motivational factors. In the '50s and early part of the '60s, we were thinking about independence; we can govern ourselves.” The Trinidad-born shed light.