‘Our heart was ripped out’

Q: What is secret behind kee-ping to fast bowlers?

A: The key to keeping to any kind of bowling is that you should be able to feel the ball, to be able to be in control of it. Having extra padding will not help. It was a matter of getting used to it, learning to cope with it.

Q: How do you think M.S. Dhoni has shaped up?

A: I think for this type of cricket, he is very competent. Plus the fact that he is a very competent batsman. He has what it takes to be an all-rounder in the one-day game.

Q: Who is the better batsman, Dravid or Sachin?

A: Rahul Dravid has an outstanding, phenomenal record. He is a very difficult batsman to get out, and his figures prove it. Sachin has played a whole lot of cricket, and if you take his injuries out of his career, he would be one of the finest batsmen to watch, and in terms of statistics the world has seen. I’d pay to watch them both.

They are two different types of players. Rahul is more of a stylist, he’s more stodgy, and Sachin will play more exciting shots, he doesn’t have a problem doing that. But they both are very good technicians. But to bat for my life, I would go with The Wall, because he has proven that he can bat for longer periods.

Q: Why has West Indian cric-ket fallen so hard since you last played?

A: There was no transition period. The heart of the team was ripped out and it was replaced by inexperience and poor leadership. I think that was the beginning of the decline. There should have been a phasing in and phasing out, but that process never happened. The core of the team was removed, people like Gordon Greenidge and Vivian Richards. And they were replaced by inexperienced players and poor leadership.

Q: What is the solution?

A: The administration needs to be revamped, more cricketing people should be put in positions to make the cricketing decisions.

Q: Do you think there is too much cricket being played these days?

A: I think there is an incentive to play as much cricket as you can because of the financial rewards. It’s up to the players basically to take care of themselves, keep themselves in shape.

Q: Your West Indian team versus the Australia of today, who would have won?

A: The team of my era was a great team and this Australian team is also a great team. The game has changed a lot, I would like to think that we would have competed well with modern day teams. We would have had a great series against an Australian team like this.

Q: Who was the best player among the Indian cricketers you had played against?

A: Mohinder Amarnath. We have spent a lot of time together, him, Anshuman Gaekwad and I. Roger Binny, as well. I enjoy their company and to this day we are friends.