The International Cricket Council is going to give the West Indies and Zimbabwe cash to help their national teams.
The West Indies Cricket Board are to be given £2million by the ICC over the next three years in a bid to improve their team. Zimbabwe are due to receive £1million in the same period.
It’s a long time since the West Indies were considered a real power in Test cricket. Between the late 1970s to early 90s the side were dominating world cricket with players such as Garfield Sobers and Viv Richards.
Even in the early years of this millennium, legendary batsman Brian Lara was smashing the best bowlers on the planet to the boundary.
The West Indies did surprise many by winning the Twenty20 World Cup last year, but have fallen from grace in the Test rankings in the last 10 years and now only New Zealand and Bangladesh sit below them. Zimbabwe are unranked as they have not played enough Test matches yet.
The ICC have stressed that teams who are underperforming need to be supported financially.
“It is very important to the long term prosperity of international cricket that we have competitive teams at the highest level and both the West Indies and Zimbabwe have been very clear in identifying the factors that will support improved performance,” ICC chief executive David Richardson said on ESPN.
The two sides are currently playing in a two match Test series against each other in Barbados. After the first day Zimbabwe were bowled out for 211 while the West Indies finished the day at 18-2.
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