West Indies batting legend Brian Lara expressed his disappointment over three Caribbean players deciding not to tour England for the three-Test series, beginning July 8.
Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul decided against travelling for the cricket tour with health concerns taking precedence amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Lara feels that undermines the value of playing for West Indies, although cricket authorities within the region have already clarified no grudge will be held against players who instead prioritise their health safety in these tough times.
"It's a team that's not at full strength," said Lara in a video chat with legendary Sachin Tendulkar for '100MB'. "Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer, Cottrell (Keemo Paul) felt that they don't want to risk in going to England and playing cricket."
"I am one who felt that if I had the opportunity to play cricket, I would be going to play cricket especially with all the protocols put in place. You're playing for the West Indies, that's something you dream of," he added.
Lara also feels the selectors should've given Jason Holder more time as captain in the limited-overs cricket instead of removing him in haste in favour of Kieron Pollard, who took over in the aftermath of the unsuccessful 2019 World Cup campaign.
"In terms of the present team, Jason Holder's leadership is critical. I'm disappointed that he's not been named leader for a very long time to give him that confidence and comfort, and if there are any problems within the team it can be handled much better."
"A good example is Graeme Smith being named (South Africa) captain at age 22-23, given the opportunity to lead a team that has a lot of experienced players. That's one of my little problems, but I think Jason Holder is a true professional, a great allrounder."
"Kemar Roach, the style and flair of Shai Hope I'm hoping comes true in this series. He has been really good in ODIs but not so good in Tests, he's definitely a Test batsman I want to see flourish."
Tendulkar, on his part, said Holder is the "most underrated allrounder", before adding in context of the series, "on the field, you'd look at (Kemar) Roach, (Sheldon) Cottrell or (Shannon) Gabriel who hits the deck hard. But Holder, only when you look at the scoreboard you realise he has picked up three wickets. Or when he's batting, he's scored those 50-55 runs when it mattered. He contributes on regular basis, terrific player to have in your team."
"Roach is the most experienced bowler. When he got into the team, he could hit the bat hard and bowled at 150 kmph. He has slowed down but isn't slow, is bowling at 140 kmph. He's become a complete fast bowler now, understands when to press the pedal, build the pressure on batter with dot balls. I think he will play a big role," added the 'Master Blaster', showering praise on Roach, who'll certainly be key to visitors' chances.
Despite the renaissance with the pace attack, West Indies is still held back as a side due to its inexperienced batting unit, which Lara thinks is a huge concern, especially facing the likes of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Jofra Archer & co in those conditions.
"Partnerships, rotating strike, making sure you keep the best deliveries out and punish the bad ones... protect your stumps," Lara said on the approach to batting in England. "In England, it's (about) protecting your stumps and get acclimatised quickly.
"Get the pace and bounce of the pitch, and when you feel comfortable, then grow. You don't have to dominate every single bowler. Even when you're 70-80 and there's somebody that's giving you trouble, then back off."
"That's key, you know that Sachin as well. With the innings you played at Sydney, it wasn't about a particular bowler getting you out but a particular shot getting you out. And you stopped yourself from playing it and scored in other areas."
"So it's a similar sort of approach. Example against Australia, I'll be playing on 70-80 and McGrath comes back for a spell, and I know he's going to bowl 6-7 overs, and I don't need to take risks against him," he added.
Among English bowlers, both Lara and Tendulkar agreed, Anderson and Broad, that famous duo, will be two major threats.
"I played I think in Anderson's debut at the Oval, not sure if it was his debut but he got me out. I played for the inswinger and it straightened and I was caught in slips," Lara recalled.
"These guys have the ability to keep improving. If you don't improve, batsmen around the world are going to get accustomed to you. These guys are aged, maybe that life they have isn't there. They're key components in any England line up."
"Jofra Archer will do his thing as the youngster. I'm hoping that they're not ready and firing at full strength. When they are, they've mastered English conditions. We're going to have it tough but hopefully things can work out," he added.
