?BRISBANE–Another former Australian cricket captain is dismayed at how the once mighty West Indies have fallen. Twenty-five years after he fell victim to one of the greatest and most ruthless teams ever to control the game, Kim Hughes wonders whether the current side should even be playing Test cricket at all. "I'm starting to agree with Greg Chappell. West Indies don't deserve to play Test cricket," the former Australia captain told The Australian yesterday.
"They're an embarrassment to themselves, they've got a captain (Chris Gayle) who doesn't believe in Test cricket and his body language suggests he doesn't want to captain. They've got an administration that can't provide facilities which are fit for Test cricket. "Things are so poor there aren't even radio broadcasts going back to the West Indies. "The demise has come in a relatively short period of time. That is sad for West Indies cricket and Test cricket."
The West Indies lost the first Test in Brisbane by an innings and 65 runs inside three days and have been widely condemned for the insipid performance at a time when questions are big asked about the future of Test cricket. Australia coach Tim Nielsen said Gayle had a challenge to lift his badly beaten side but felt they would perform better with the likely return of veteran batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan, while Australia has lost opening bowler Ben Hilfenhaus to knee tendonitis.
"To keep performing and still get the best out of his team, that is Chris's challenge at the moment," Nielsen said. "The West Indies are not the first team to get beaten in Brisbane. It is 21 years since the Australian team has lost there. "They will have Sarwan back which will be a real injection of quality and we are missing Hilfenhaus. We don't want to let them off the mat." But in a further blow the West Indies have lost opening bowler Jerome Taylor, who broke down after just nine overs in the first Test and has been sent home with a hip problem.
Hughes claimed the West Indies should have had better preparation going into the Test given they had played so little cricket. "I'm a passionate person about Test cricket and this was not a Test," Hughes said. "In this day and age when you've got all the money and all the technology, why would you accept a team that hasn't played Test cricket since May and is only prepared to play one four-day match in the lead-up. It's just ridiculous."