Kraigg Brathwaite opens up after 1st Test defeat vs Australia

After the West Indies suffered a 10-wicket loss against Australia on Day 3 of the first Test at Adelaide Oval, skipper Kraigg Brathwaite has determined what his team needs to do better in the format. The Windies showcased exceptional performance, bowling out Australia for the first time since 2009. However, on the second day, Australia’s prowess ultimately overcame the West Indies and won the game on the next day.

Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to help the team. He stated that although the West Indies are a major force in cricket, they have only contested a limited amount of matches.

“I just find this all a bit sad, I mean the West Indies are a powerhouse of world cricket, they have been for many generations. They’ve arrived here with no experience, they’ve fought but the game doesn’t give them enough. The ICC, the handouts, West Indies cricket, just look at the state that it’s in. We can’t be surprised,” Vaughan told Fox Cricket.

Meanwhile, Brathwaite stated that games would assist the West Indies solve their hardships when he was asked whether financial support would help his side enhance. The 31-year-old added that following a Test series, the West Indies might get months off before another, and that this would negatively impact a player’s ability to compete in the longest format of the game.

“Funding would be great … (but) we need to play a lot more games, last year we played six games. Even if we play six in a year, I pretty much don’t mind if it’s six games in back-to-back series but I think you go out to play to learn.”

“It’s hard for a guy to play, let’s say he fails or succeeds, whichever one it is, but then your next Test match is six months away so it’s pretty hard to learn as a batsman because I think you learn as you are out there playing and experiencing what world-class bowlers and batsmen do. I think we need a lot more Test cricket,” Brathwaite said post-match.

The opening batter went on to say that they are delighted to have a total of nine games this year than the previous ones.

“This year is pretty good for us to be honest, nine games … it’s a good year. But generally, the more games we can play, plus obviously funding would be great but I think we need to play more cricket for our guys to gain more experience and go on and continuously perform against world-class players,” the Windies captain added.