Ancient West Indies captain and batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has expressed concern over the current state of Test cricket in the Caribbean region, fearing that declining interest in the longest format of the game could lead to a talent drain to the United States.
The rapid rise of T20 cricket and players’ preference for this shorter format has pushed red-ball cricket to the sidelines.Sarwan believes that the number of first-class matches played per season, which is currently only five, should be increased to a minimum of ten to provide players with more opportunities to hone their skills in the traditional format.
In addition to the lack of focus on Test cricket, Sarwan also points to the scarcity of proper cricket infrastructure in the region.
The 44-year-old, who has amassed over 10,000 runs in 87 Tests and 181 ODIs, shared the pack with fellow Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the legendary Brian Lara for a significant part of his international career.
“Yes, Test cricket is at a very low point to be honest. Of the games we are playing again in the Caribbean, I don’t think it’s enough to develop our players; but I also think there has this major threat of T20 cricket where a lot of people are interested in the shortest format,” he said.
“I think one of the biggest challenges we’ve had is the facilities in the area. I think the cricket board has been working on that. So we’ll see what happens,” he added.
Sarwan is not opposed to cricketers earning income through the numerous franchise leagues, but he feels the temptation is affecting the format he cherishes and derives immense satisfaction from playing.
Given the sport’s current trajectory, Sarwan anticipates a significant departure of Caribbean players to the United States, where cricket gained substantial momentum following the organization of the T20 World Cup and its inclusion in the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“I think having the T20 format in the United States, which is so close to the Caribbean… of course, they (players) would now have the opportunity to participate in the short format of the game in the United States.
“So you might find a lot of people jumping ship to come to the United States and start participating in T20 and, of course, trying to see if they could find a way to become legal in the United States and then start, hopefully pushing the game to the United States,” said Sarwan, who also spends a lot of time in the United States.
Sarwan has a busy schedule as he owns and operates two restaurants in Georgetown. One establishment offers a mix of Italian and American cuisine, while the other specializes in a fusion of Thai and Indian flavors.
Further discussing the longer format of the game, Sarwan expressed that a quick resolution to the current challenges faced by Test cricket is unlikely to be found in the near future.
“I don’t think it’s something that can be done just in the Caribbean. I think the ICC should probably step in to put a limit on the number of T20 tournaments played around the world.
“Of course you want to have the best players available for all these leagues and of course you also want to be able to represent the countries. So I think it’s a major challenge to say what the ideal scenario is. At some point, “At some point, the ICC would probably have to step in, which I really don’t see happening in the near future,” Sarwan said.
Asked whether the advent of T20 leagues has had any effect on players wanting to play for the West Indies, particularly Test cricket, Sarwan said: “I don’t want to say it’s diminished, but probably to Because of the game’s shorter format, it got a lot of attention from players, so they probably would have worked more in the shorter format rather than the longer format.
“We all know what Test cricket requires. We just don’t call it Test cricket because of the term Test cricket, do we? It’s been more than five days and of course, the Testing is usual in every aspect you could think of.
“That’s one of the reasons why, like I said, guys probably lost their focus on the longer format,” Sarwan explained.
Despite the challenges facing Caribbean cricket, Sarwan remains optimistic, with some young talent emerging from the region.
One player who has caught his eye is Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph, who made an impressive debut in the Test series against Australia. Sarwan believes Joseph has the potential to become a key figure in the West Indies bowling attack. Additionally, he enjoys watching the batting of Nicholas Pooran, a dynamic left-handed wicket-keeper batsman from Trinidad and Tobago.
Sarwan always admired Hashim Amla of South Africa, among other cricket teams. When he talks about Indian cricket, his two best choices are always Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
“I like Rohit for his confidence and he does everything with style. With Virat, apart from his batting ability, I admire his work ethic, his determination, his passion and the face he never hesitates to put on verbally in the face of opposition,” Sarwan concluded.
The rapid rise of T20 cricket and players’ preference for this shorter format has pushed red-ball cricket to the sidelines.Sarwan believes that the number of first-class matches played per season, which is currently only five, should be increased to a minimum of ten to provide players with more opportunities to hone their skills in the traditional format.
In addition to the lack of focus on Test cricket, Sarwan also points to the scarcity of proper cricket infrastructure in the region.
The 44-year-old, who has amassed over 10,000 runs in 87 Tests and 181 ODIs, shared the pack with fellow Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the legendary Brian Lara for a significant part of his international career.
“Yes, Test cricket is at a very low point to be honest. Of the games we are playing again in the Caribbean, I don’t think it’s enough to develop our players; but I also think there has this major threat of T20 cricket where a lot of people are interested in the shortest format,” he said.
“I think one of the biggest challenges we’ve had is the facilities in the area. I think the cricket board has been working on that. So we’ll see what happens,” he added.
Sarwan is not opposed to cricketers earning income through the numerous franchise leagues, but he feels the temptation is affecting the format he cherishes and derives immense satisfaction from playing.
Given the sport’s current trajectory, Sarwan anticipates a significant departure of Caribbean players to the United States, where cricket gained substantial momentum following the organization of the T20 World Cup and its inclusion in the program for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“I think having the T20 format in the United States, which is so close to the Caribbean… of course, they (players) would now have the opportunity to participate in the short format of the game in the United States.
“So you might find a lot of people jumping ship to come to the United States and start participating in T20 and, of course, trying to see if they could find a way to become legal in the United States and then start, hopefully pushing the game to the United States,” said Sarwan, who also spends a lot of time in the United States.
Sarwan has a busy schedule as he owns and operates two restaurants in Georgetown. One establishment offers a mix of Italian and American cuisine, while the other specializes in a fusion of Thai and Indian flavors.
Further discussing the longer format of the game, Sarwan expressed that a quick resolution to the current challenges faced by Test cricket is unlikely to be found in the near future.
“I don’t think it’s something that can be done just in the Caribbean. I think the ICC should probably step in to put a limit on the number of T20 tournaments played around the world.
“Of course you want to have the best players available for all these leagues and of course you also want to be able to represent the countries. So I think it’s a major challenge to say what the ideal scenario is. At some point, “At some point, the ICC would probably have to step in, which I really don’t see happening in the near future,” Sarwan said.
Asked whether the advent of T20 leagues has had any effect on players wanting to play for the West Indies, particularly Test cricket, Sarwan said: “I don’t want to say it’s diminished, but probably to Because of the game’s shorter format, it got a lot of attention from players, so they probably would have worked more in the shorter format rather than the longer format.
“We all know what Test cricket requires. We just don’t call it Test cricket because of the term Test cricket, do we? It’s been more than five days and of course, the Testing is usual in every aspect you could think of.
“That’s one of the reasons why, like I said, guys probably lost their focus on the longer format,” Sarwan explained.
Despite the challenges facing Caribbean cricket, Sarwan remains optimistic, with some young talent emerging from the region.
One player who has caught his eye is Guyanese fast bowler Shamar Joseph, who made an impressive debut in the Test series against Australia. Sarwan believes Joseph has the potential to become a key figure in the West Indies bowling attack. Additionally, he enjoys watching the batting of Nicholas Pooran, a dynamic left-handed wicket-keeper batsman from Trinidad and Tobago.
Sarwan always admired Hashim Amla of South Africa, among other cricket teams. When he talks about Indian cricket, his two best choices are always Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
“I like Rohit for his confidence and he does everything with style. With Virat, apart from his batting ability, I admire his work ethic, his determination, his passion and the face he never hesitates to put on verbally in the face of opposition,” Sarwan concluded.