BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Leg-spinner Samuel Badree believes the problems of West Indies cricket are now too big for authorities in the region to fix.
As such, he said here yesterday that cricket’s world governing body, the International Cricket Council or Caribbean governments may need to intervene, to halt the decline.
“It’s disappointing and deeply painful to be a player and to see the level we have reached,” said Badree, who has signed to play with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.
“There has been a lot of conjecture about the reasons and I don’t want to get into that – just to say that we need help.
“Whether it comes from the ICC or whether it comes from the governments of the West Indies, at the end of the day we need some help to get our cricket back on the right track.”
The 34-year-old Badree has played 22 Twenty20 Internationals for West Indies but is yet to play Test or one-day cricket.
He has risen to become the number two ranked bowler in the world and like many West Indies players, has opted to focus on the lucrative T20 leagues around the world in recent years.
Badree is joined by fellow West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago player, Lendl Simmons for Heat’s campaign in the Big Bash.
On Saturday night, they will take on Melbourne Renegades featuring Windies teammates Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, and Badree said he was fully aware of his role for the Heat.
“As one of the international players, I need to step up to the challenge,” Badree said.
“People doubted spinners initially in Twenty20 cricket but you have seen the success of slow bowlers as the game has gone on. Spinners all over the world have adapted well [to T20 cricket].”
