Bowling great Wes Hall has backed Lara's call for genuine fast bowlers who he believes hold the key to resurrect the game there.
ST. KITTS: West Indies' bowling great Wes Hall has backed captain Brian Lara's call for genuine fast bowlers who he believes hold the key for the country's return to days of glory.
"I believe that whenever we get three fast bowlers of 90 miles and over, well then I think we'll rule the world," said the legendary fast bowler.
"I am not in Lara's corner, Lara is in mine. Remember I said so first (the need to have genuine speedsters). You see Lara is a very sensible guy. He knows what's going on," he was quoted as saying in 'Jamaica Observer'.
Hall said selectors must trust the players' word.
"I have been a selector. I have not been a captain, but I have been a senior member of the team for many years and I know. Cricketers know what the composition of the side should be."
Lara had demanded fast bowlers like Jermaine Lawson and Tino Best for the third Test against India but the selectors named an unchanged pace attack of left-armer Pedro Collins, swing bowler Corey Collymore and Jerome Taylor, along with medium-pace all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
Hall said he understood the frustration of Lara when he publicly pleaded for a fast bowler.
"I was surprised when I heard the captain saying so, but he must be very frustrated to have gone that far but is saying exactly what I have said over the last 10 years," said Hall, who was also president of the West Indies Cricket Board.
Hall said it was known to everyone that Indian batsmen were vulnerable against genuinely quick bowling.
"I notice that Lara has recently said exactly that. The Indians... have been susceptible to pace. There is no doubt about that.
"They are great players (but against) spin. They are born and bred on spin and therefore I think that it is necessary (to unleash pacemen on them)," he said.
Hall reiterated the need to have quick bowlers in the side.
"I have been very consistent with my views on the future of West Indian cricket. I said three or four years ago that we have turned the corner, but the proviso has always been with me that whenever we produce three fast bowlers of about 90 miles an hour we will be on top of the world," he said.
"I say so because I have always recognised that since 1923 with George Challenor, 1929 with the great master George Headley, we've had batsmen. Following George would be the 3Ws, then Sir Garry, Sir Viv, Clive Lloyd, (Rohan) Kanhai, (Seymour) Nurse, all these great players and then you enter (Gordon) Greenidge and (Desmond) Haynes," said Hall.
"For those 75 years we've always had batsmen in the first three in the world. There is no doubt about it. But you have to bowl people out twice to win a game."
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