Legendary former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd believes global and domestic Twenty20 have played an important role in enhancing the skills and professionalism of the regional cricket team.
Lloyd, current chairman of the West Indies selection panel said the experience of playing in different conditions and against different players, had allowed the Windies players to develop significantly in recent years.
“It has given our cricket that bit of a lift in playing in the IPL, Big Bash and so on. You are playing games against different people, you’re in different conditions and we have done very, very well,” said Lloyd who led West Indies to back-to-back World Cup wins in 1975 and 1979.
“I presume India’s young players have learnt a lot from playing with the other countries that compete in the IPL. They learn different things about the game and that’s what it’s all about.
“County cricket gave us that sort of learning school because we picked up a lot, we become more professional while playing Country cricket,” he said.
Lloyd added: “The same thing is happening now, we have some of the best one-day cricketers around. They play in India, South Africa and they play in Australia and Bangladesh and some of them play in England.”
Lloyd, one of the leading players of the l970s and 80s said the success of both the men and women’s team would be a huge boost to cricket in the Caribbean and noted it reflected the depth that existed in the regional game.
“It is good for our cricket. It is good for our cricketers. We have six million people (in the Caribbean), that’s not a lot of people and to win both men and women — and the young Under-19 side just one the World Cup — is great,” Lloyd said.
