Legendary West Indies batter and former captain Brian Lara has urged India’s coach Rahul Dravid to have proper plans in place for players, especially the superstars in the team, ahead of the T20 World Cup. Lara, in an interaction with PTI facilitated by Star Sports, emphasized the importance of conveying these plans clearly to get the maximum out of the players.
Lara’s advice stems from the West Indies’ encounter with a similar predicament at the 1987 World Cup. Despite being the reigning champions and packed with experienced players, the Windies faced disappointment in the group stage. Lara believes that India, with its squad boasting stalwarts like Kohli and Rohit, along with match-winners such as Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah, has the potential to succeed. However, he stresses the need for a balanced team with a clear strategy, a point he expounds on later in the interview.
Lara expressed some skepticism regarding the omission of Rinku Singh from the squad. The left-handed KKR batter missed out on a flight despite being named as one of the four reserve players. Nonetheless, Lara believes that India has assembled a strong team capable of ending their 11-year ICC trophy jinx. He acknowledges the dilemma faced by many countries in selecting their squads, especially when they have such great players, but reiterates the importance of having a plan and ensuring that it is communicated effectively to the players.
