Brian Lara named Performance Mentor of West Indies: Details here
Batting legend Brian Lara has been named the Performance Mentor of all West Indies international teams. He will also give his input to the West Indies Academy. Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the same on Friday (January 27). Notably, WI have had a hard time in the last couple of years, and Lara will be expected to change their fortunes. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
Lara is one of the finest batters to have ever graced the game and his records at the international level are nothing but stupendous. After retiring from professional cricket, the former West Indies captain also proved his mettle in the coaching arena. Meanwhile, Lara's new role will be to assist head coaches and players. He'll also work closely with the team's Director of Cricket.
Jimmy Adams welcomes Lara
CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams has backed Lara to make a 'significant contribution' to the teams. "We are confident that Brian will help to improve our high-performance mindset and strategic culture that will bring us more success on the field across all formats," he said in an official statement. "Everyone is excited to have Brian involved in supporting our players."
What did Lara say?
Meanwhile, Lara is also looking forward to working with the players and support-staff members. "Having spent time with the players and coaches in Australia and in discussions with CWI, I really believe that I can help the players with their mental approach to the game and with their tactics to be more successful," he stated.
Lara had analyzed WI's poor show in T20 WC
Lara was also on the review panel that analyzed WI's early exit from the ICC T20 World Cup last year. The panel had stated that WI cricket may "cease to exist as an entity" if the prominent players aren't regularly available for international assignments due to T20 leagues. Mickey Arthur and Justice Patrick Thompson Jr. were also a part of the panel.
Important assignments in the pipeline
Lara's maiden assignment with the men's team will be the two-match Test series in Zimbabwe, starting February 4. With the ODI World Cup in India being under 10 months away, Lara has the onus to identify a solution sooner than later. Moreover, WI are the hosts of the 2024 ICC T20 WC, which will be played in June.
