Garner hails poor marketing responsible for cricket's downfall in WI

Dubai, Apr 16 (UNI) Former West Indian fast bowler Joel Garner feels that inadequate marketing initiative of cricket among youngsters is the root cause for the slump in the game's popularity in the Caribbeans.

Reacting to recent media reports that youngsters in the Caribbean are now preferring basketball to cricket, owing to its good future opportunities in the US, Garner told 'Gulf News', ''That is not true. I think a lot of people opted for other sports instead of cricket since the game was not marketed properly to the youngsters here.'' ''Nothing was done to promote the game in the region. So I am not shocked at whatever has happened,'' the towering pacer added.

However, the Big Bird was delighted to see the new wicket at the Kensington Oval ground in Barbados, as it reminds him of the traditional Caribbean wickets which used to exist during his playing days.

''It is lovely to watch cricket on such wicket. Influenced by one-day cricket, many wickets have been changed to suit batsmen.

But cricket is exciting to watch only when it is played on such wickets,'' 55-year-old Garner said.

''Wickets made to suit batsmen had taken the excitement out of cricket. People would surely love to watch bowlers testing the skills of the batsmen with their pace,'' the record holder for the best figures in a World Cup final added.

UNI