‘ICC need not interfere in Windies cricket now’

MUMBAI: Legendary West Indian fast bowler Andy Roberts on Saturday said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) should have intervened long back to solve the issues in West Indies cricket while adding that it wasn’t right to give the captaincy to Jason Holder as the burden will affect his form.

Expressing his concern over the current state of affairs in West Indian cricket at the Cricket Club of India here, the 64-year-old Andy said: “It is very sad and disappointing. I am not going to blame the board completely. The players have to take responsibility to develop their cricket to have positive results. You don’t have to win. All you have to do is compete. But at the moment we are not competing.”

He also took a dig at ICC that it was too late now for the council to intervene. “The ICC should have intervened a long time ago with the administration of West Indies cricket after they had cancelled the tour of India. There is no point in the ICC interfering now. It’s a West Indies problem and we hope that good sense will prevail with the administrators so that we can get some former players involved in the development of the cricket. Not the administration. The development of cricket,” he emphasized.

When asked if it was right to give Holder the responsibility of captaincy, Roberts replied: “No. It wasn’t. You have to worry about your game and when the team is not performing, don’t you think it will have an effect on you?” (given) it to Kieron Pollard. They talk that he doesn’t play four-day cricket but he has a better average than moist of the current players. Pollard for two years, then Holder. That will give Holder a chance to cement his place in the team,” said Roberts.

Talking about Mohammad Amir, the Pakistani bowler who has been selected to the international team after his five-year ban term, Roberts said that everybody deserves a second chance.

He also added that veteran left-handed batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul should have called it a day before being excluded by the board. “Shiv should have resigned before. He had problems picking up the ball. Once you have problems picking up the ball, it’s the time to go. Don’t allow them