Former West Indian batting legend Brian Lara has expressed his disappointment over Nicholas Pooran’s absence from the West Indies Test side for the upcoming tour of England. Lara believes that Pooran, along with Shai Hope, should have been included in the squad, questioning whether Pooran was even considered for selection.
In a recent interview with The Guardian, Lara shared his thoughts on the matter:
“Everyone would love to see Nicholas Pooran in a Test match. I don’t know if he was asked, I don’t know the situation. I’d love to see a Shai Hope back in the West Indies team. But we’ve got to play with what we have.”
Despite the absence of some key players, Lara remains optimistic about the young talent within the team:
“And what we have is a group of young players that want to play for West Indies, that want to play Test cricket. Hopefully, their style will come out and they can be successful.”
The West Indies team has shown significant promise in recent times, particularly in Test cricket. Earlier this year, they secured a historic victory against Australia, their first Test win on Australian soil in 27 years. This landmark win was achieved thanks to a remarkable bowling performance by Shamar Joseph, who took 7-68 to prevent Australia from chasing down 216, with Steven Smith’s valiant 91* falling short.
Reflecting on this achievement, Lara expressed his pride:
“This West Indies team can stand tall today, West Indies cricket can stand tall today. When you’re in Australia, you understand there’s going to be that slight arrogance. The final day, they felt it was going to be an easy task. I was just very proud of these young cricketers. Twenty-seven years it took us to win a Test match in Australia. I couldn’t be a happier West Indian.”
Lara’s comments underscore the significance of the upcoming series against England, which kicks off on July 10 at Lord’s. The West Indies will be looking to build on their recent success and aim for their first Test series win in England since 1988. The 2020 tour saw them win the first Test before losing the subsequent two, and they will be eager to improve on that performance.
As the cricketing world anticipates this series, the absence of players like Pooran and Hope is notable, but the focus remains on the young talents who are determined to make their mark on the international stage.
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