Kingston: Pace legend Curtly Ambrose believes the current lot of Caribbean youngsters doesn’t really understand what cricket means to the West Indies and so the two-time world champions will never be able to relive the glory days again.
West Indies had lifted first two World Cup titles in 1975 and 1979 and it took 33 years for the team to claim another ICC title when Darren Sammy had guided them to the 2012 T20 World Cup crown and repeated the feat four years later.
“Most of the youngsters we have now probably don’t quite understand what cricket means to West Indians in the West Indies and abroad because cricket is the only sport that really unites Caribbean people,” Ambrose told Talk Sports Live.
“This is no disrespect to the players we have now because we have a couple of guys who have some quality in them and can become great, but what we have to understand is that I don’t think we will ever see those great, exceptional glory days again.”
The 57-year-old, who claimed 405 wickets in 98 Tests between 1988 and 2000, said it is difficult to find talented cricketers from the island nation nowadays.
“It’s going to be difficult to find another Viv Richards or a (Demond) Haynes and (Gordon) Greenidge, a Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, you know, a Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and the list goes on and on, Clive Lloyd,” Ambrose said.
“It’s going to be extremely difficult to find those quality players again.”
Ambrose said West Indies team can improve their ICC rankings but won’t be able to dominate the way it did in the 80s and 90s.
“When we were the best team in the word, West Indians all over the globe could walk and boast about how good we were because we were the best, so it’s going to be difficult to see those glory days again,” he said.
“Yes, we can be competitive and climb up the ICC rankings and be a force to be reckon with again, but those glory days, I don’t think we will see them again.”