Former West Indies skipper and legendary batter Brian Lara highlighted the career choices of cricketers, particularly those from the West Indies. He noted that players like Nicholas Pooran are retiring early to play in various global leagues, where they can earn more money. Lara felt that this was a result of the West Indies Cricket Board's failure to incentivise players to remain loyal to West Indies cricket, contrasting it with the efforts of boards in countries like England, Australia, and India.
"You have a lot of guys who are deciding on what to do with their careers. You have your aggressive players like Pooran, who retired at 29. And honestly, it's pretty clear why they did. There are five or six leagues around the world, and they're able to make a substantial amount of money playing in them," Brian Lara said on 'Stick to Cricket' podcast hosted by former England players Phil Tuffnell, David Llyod, Michael Vaughan and Alastair Cook.
"I have no problem with that. The truth is, I don't think the West Indies Cricket Board or the administration has done anything meaningful to keep players loyal to West Indies cricket, unlike what boards in countries like England, Australia, or even India have done," he added
"So naturally, our players are going to look elsewhere. And when you see players like Kane Williamson or even South Africans making similar choices, you understand that these guys are just trying to provide for their families."
Pooran surprised the world by announcing his retirement from international cricket at the age of 29 last month. The 29-year-old, who recently dazzled in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Lucknow Super Giants with explosive performances, described retiring from the international circuit as "difficult".
With over eight months left before the T20 World Cup 2026 kicks off in India and Sri Lanka, Pooran's decision serves as a massive setback for the 2016 winners. Since bursting onto the international scene in 2016, Pooran featured in 106 T20Is and 61 ODIs, garnering more than 4,258 runs across both formats.
He mustered up 2,275 in the shortest format of cricket, averaging 26.14 at 136.39. While in the 50-over cricket, he tallied 1,983 runs at 39.66 while maintaining a strike rate of 99.15, laced with three centuries and 11 fifties.