Brian Lara meets West Indies captain and coach in dressing room after Day 2 of Delhi Test

After Day 2 of the second Test in Delhi, cricket legend Brian Lara made a visit to the West Indies dressing room, even as India tightened their grip on the match.

The 56-year-old, visiting alongside Viv Richards as part of the ‘Mission India’ campaign, is working to help Cricket West Indies secure additional funds to revive the long-form game. A source told PTI, “Brian Lara visited the dressing room after the day’s play. He didn’t speak to the players collectively but had separate conversations with coach Darren Sammy, captain Roston Chase, and a few others. He stayed for about 20 minutes, discussing the overall health of West Indies cricket and the way forward.”

Lara has stressed that while funding is crucial, passion and commitment are equally important. Speaking at a recent private function, he said, “If you want to get things done, you need the capital. But I also want to ask Roston Chase and the other players—do they have cricket at heart? Do they truly want to play for West Indies? That is the key, because if the passion is there, you will find a way.”

Reflecting on his own era, Lara added, “We didn’t have superior facilities 30–40 years ago. Viv Richards didn’t practice on better pitches; we all went through the same grind. But the passion to represent West Indies was different. I urge young players to recognize this opportunity. Every parent would have dreamed of their child playing for West Indies and performing well, because it meant so much back then.”