Legendary cricketer Brian Lara has expressed his disappointment over Nicholas Pooran’s absence from the West Indies Test squad for the upcoming series against England. Brian Lara said that Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope should have been included in the squad, considering their ability to succeed in Test cricket.

The Windies claimed a historic Test win against Australia in Brisbane the last time they played Test cricket. It was their first win on Australian soil in 27 years. They tied the series 1-1 and ended a long Test win drought in Australia. Shamar Joseph played a pivotal role by taking seven wickets in the final innings.

I don’t know if you asked Nicholas Pooran – Brian Lara

Speaking to The Guardian, Brian Lara claimed that he would love to see Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope back in the West Indies Test squad. Lara mentioned that he was not sure if Pooran had been contacted. He hoped that West Indies would be successful during the upcoming tour of England.

“Everyone would love to see Nicholas Pooran in a Test match. I don’t know if he was asked, I don’t know the situation. I would love to see Shai Hope back in the West Indies team. But we have to play with what we have,” Lara said.

“We have a group of young players who want to play for West Indies and play Test cricket. We hope their style will come through and they can be successful,” he added.

West Indies have a disappointing record in England in red-ball cricket, with their last series win on English soil coming in 1988. During their 2020 tour, they won the first Test but lost the next two matches. West Indies won a Test series against England in 2022 by a 1-0 margin on home soil.

These West Indies can stand tall – Brian Lara

Brian Lara expressed his joy at West Indies’ Test win against Australia at the Gabba earlier this year. He emphasised how important this win was for West Indies cricket after a 27-year wait for a Test win in Australia. Lara praised the young cricketers for their resilience and determination.

“This West Indies team can stand today, West Indies cricket can stand today. When you are in Australia, you understand that there is going to be a slight arrogance. On the last day, they felt it was going to be an easy task. I was very proud of these young cricketers. It took us twenty-seven years to win a Test match in Australia. I couldn’t be happier as a West Indian,” Lara added.

The next Test match series between England and West Indies will begin on July 10 at Lord’s in London. It will be James Anderson’s last international match. The second Test match will be played at Trent Bridge from July 18, and the final match is scheduled at Edgbaston from July 26.

England are bottom of the nine-team World Test Championship (WTC) table, with just three wins from ten matches. West Indies, on the other hand, are sixth with one win from four matches and a points percentage (PCT) of 33.33.

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