Lara, Arthur part of independent group to review West Indies T20 WC debacle

The legendary Brian Lara has been included in a three-member independent group to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the West Indies first-round exit from the recently-concluded T20 World Cup.

The two-time champions crashed out of the showpiece in the group stage after losses to Scotland and Ireland. They beat Zimbabwe in the round-robin league and finished at the bottom of the four-team group.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) in a statement said the World Cup review group will undertake a holistic assessment of all aspects of the teams preparation and performance at the global tournament.

The group will be chaired by Justice Patrick Thompson Jr., a High Court Judge at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and also includes former Pakistan and South Africa coach Mickey Arthur besides Lara.

“The three-member panel will submit a report to the CWI Board of Directors, with relevant insight and clear recommendations,” the CWI said on Wednesday.

“It is also intended that this review will establish a process and template for future performance reviews. The Terms of Reference (TOR) will be published.” Following the West Indies ouster, Phil Simmons had announced he would be stepping down from his role as the head coach at the end of the year.

“It is vital that players, coaches, administrators, and all of us who love West Indies cricket, recognize that creating a sustainable learning culture, throughout the organization, is a prerequisite for player growth and team improvement,” CWI president Ricky Skerritt said.

“Emotion-based and knee-jerk type decisions have failed CWI repeatedly in the past. I am confident that this independent World Cup review process will produce findings and learnings that should be of great benefit to our cricket system going forward.”

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