Following his team's disappointing 2-0 Test series whitewash against India, skipper Jason Holder said it's time for structural changes to the game at the first-class level in the Caribbean for West Indies to bridge the enormous gap that exists between its domestic cricket and the international level, especially in the batting department.
"I don't think it's a quick fix, you know. I think it's a situation in the Caribbean, we are not really spoilt for choice in terms of batsmen coming through the region," Holder told reporters after his team suffered two back to back heavy defeats in Antigua and Jamaica versus the No.1 ranked Test side.
"We have got to put things in place to make sure we keep developing players, make sure players are doing the right thing to be successful at this level."
"There is still a lot more emphasis to be put on franchise level and first-class cricket, and that's where we are going to build players, you know. They've got experience and scenario-based experience, and when they come on to [play] Test cricket, it becomes a little bit easier."
However, there is certainly some raw talent to work with, as even Holder stressed upon saying the Calypso Kings are still headed in the right direction, just need more confidence and some patience from outside.
"We have just got to stay patient. I think this Test team has shown, in the last two-three years, that we are definitely headed in the right direction," said Holder as West Indies defeated England 2-1 at home earlier this year.
"We definitely just need to be a lot more consistent in Test cricket, and, in fact all three formats of world cricket. Again, it's one thing for us to keep saying it."
"We've just got to be doing things to make sure consistency can breed within the West Indies set-up and I just think enough talking has been done. We need to find solutions. It's not one or two individuals that need to find solution, it's the collective Cricket West Indies that needs to find solutions."
West Indies' next Test assignment is the one-off encounter with Afghanistan in Dehradun this November but the team will have to wait till May next year to restart its World Test Championship campaign via a three-match Test series in England having conceded 120 points to India.
(Inputs from ESPNcricinfo)
