'I am not sure if it matters' - India legend Sunil Gavaskar lashes out at 'laid-back' temperament of West Indies cricket

In the last few weeks, West Indies cricket has suffered a lot. After failing to qualify for the 2023 World Cup, the West Indies were brutally thrashed by India in the first Test. However, despite their poor performance, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar has come up with some suggestions. Gavaskar played his first international game in the Carrebian Islands and has an emotional connection.

Speaking about the same, Gavaskar said, "It is where I went for my first tour, and I know a lot of people there. I know the kind of legacy those wonderful cricketers left behind. There's a pretty laid-back temperament, which is fantastic, but when it comes to playing, sometimes a laid-back temperament might not get you many results. To Clive Lloyds, Malcolm Marshalls, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Michael Holdings, and Garners, the wonderful era for West Indies Test cricket was that every Test match that they played was extra income."

Gavaskar believes that cricketers' salaries should be tied to their performance and has even indicated that the absence of a central contract may be a suitable method to deal with the current scenario. "My suggestion would be to increase the Test match fees but not give them central contracts. You are paid for your performance. Then probably they will have a different attitude", said Gavaskar.

"Not sure if it actually matters", says Sunil Gavaskar over the Central Contract

Further speaking about the central contract given by the West Indies Board, Gavaskar feels that it is worthless if it is not based on performance. Today, the West Indian players, whether it is a Test player or a T20 player, all the players all over the world are guaranteed by their central contracts, a hundred thousand dollars or whatever", says Gavaskar.

"But if you know the West Indian temperament and you have that much in the bank before you score a run or take a wicket, I am not too sure about a lot of them if it actually matters whether they score runs or not. Because the money is in the bank," Gavaskar said at The Indian Express's Idea Exchange. Notably, the West Indies are currently struggling to field their best XI against India in Test cricket due to player availability issues.