Wes Hall has said that he believes the players exist to return the West Indies to their place among cricket's elite sides. In a speech in Georgetown which was reported on the official West Indies Cricket Board website, Hall, the president of the WICB, highlighted the strength of the junior sides, in particular the Under-19s who recently completed a series win in England.

He said that the plans for the future depended on the contributions of former West Indies players. "Our position is that we must prioritise, we must do the costing and then we must implement the strategic plan, and therefore you have massive consultations with the stakeholders and the stakeholders really are the ex-cricketers."

Referring to criticism in recent years that the views of leading players were not sought or welcomed, Hall added, "There is a mistaken view that if you play cricket for the West Indies, there's no room for you in the decision-making process, and that will change."

He explained that while the coaching of young players had reached an acceptable level, they were still not being prepared for the mental pressures which they would experience as their careers developed. "We teach our youngsters to bat, we teach them to bowl, we teach them to field. We have a batting coach, a bowling coach and a fielding coach but nobody ever teaches them how to handle pressure.Whatever is in you comes out under pressure."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd