Pollard as skipper of West Indies is step in right direction: Brian Lara

London [UK], Oct 18 (ANI): Former West Indies skipper Brian Lara has said that making Kieron Pollard the captain of West Indies' limited-overs team is a step taken in the right direction by the country's cricketing board.
He also said that Pollard has the experience of playing all over the world and it will come in handy in leading the side.
"He has got some good experience. I also believe that a captain is as good as his team and the people who really support him. And I believe that he will get the support, that's half of your job done," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Lara as saying.
"Practically, he has played cricket all around the world, he will understand what needs to be done. So it is not a bad decision. If he is committed to West Indies cricket for a long period of time, it is a step in the right sort of direction and let's see how it goes," he added.
The 50-year-old Lara also gave his opinion as to what the team is required to do to become successful in the longest format of the game.
West Indies was recently defeated by India 0-2 in the two-match series and the side is currently placed at the eighth position in the ICC team rankings.
"We came off about six months ago a win against England in the West Indies which was very promising. So you expected the team to maybe follow on after that. But there were a lot of one-day cricket and different things happening over the last five-six months with almost the same players. So the attrition level is something the West Indies cricket board and the management will have to see if they can solve that because some of the cricketers are understanding the shorter version of the game but the longer version they're missing some key elements," Lara said.
"I think first we have got to get back to playing good and competitive first-class cricket in the Caribbean where the guys spend time in the middle as batsmen, bowlers bowl long spells and see if we can work from there," he added.
West Indies will next take on Afghanistan in India in three T20Is, three ODIs, and one Test. After the series against Afghanistan, the team from the Caribbean will take on India in a limited-over series.
"To be successful anywhere in the world you have to adapt very quickly. If you're playing in Australia, India, South Africa, West Indies...they're all different conditions. First and foremost, everyone that plays international cricket has a certain level of skill and talent to play the game. How you approach with your mental strength is key, an adaptation of the environment you're in is key. Learning all these important things to be successful...to be a step ahead, not having any excuses. I think those things are key to making sure that you're successful playing anywhere in the world," Lara said. (ANI)