Legendary West Indies batsman and former captain Sir Vivian Richards believes Cricket West Indies (CWI) may need to take a bold step and identify a young player with leadership potential to take over the Test captaincy following Kraigg Brathwaite’s resignation.
Richards’ comments come amid uncertainty surrounding who will succeed Brathwaite, who officially stepped down on March 31 after three years in charge. While CWI has promised to name a new captain “in the coming weeks,” the Antiguan icon says viable options appear limited.
"I don’t know if they made enough preparations for that particular format,” Richards said.
“We see a lot of potential leaders in the ODI and T20 formats, but I don’t think they would have made enough preparations for someone taking over from Brathwaite, and it has basically opened the doors. We have to look at individuals who can demand a place, I believe, and that’s very important," he added.
Richards, who famously captained the West Indies in 50 Tests without ever losing a series, believes the board now faces a key inflection point, one that might require identifying and grooming a younger talent with the right leadership instincts. However, he opted not to throw names in the ring.
"Maybe it’s time to look at the individuals with the potential and not just basically with batting skills but someone who is pretty astute with the game and someone who demands the respect of the individuals they are going to lead so all of these things are crucial," Richards opined.
Brathwaite’s tenure saw moments of resilience, including a home series win over England in 2022 and a historic Test victory in Australia last year, their first win down under in 27 years. But the 31-year-old opener also faced significant challenges, managing a team often short on consistency and depth. He led the West Indies in 39 Tests between 2017 and 2025, with a record of 10 wins and 22 losses.
Richards suspects that the burden of captaincy may have affected Brathwaite’s own performances.
"He’s still going to play, because when you look at what we have around at present, he’s held his own for quite some time, but maybe the captaincy took a toll. If the team is not doing well and you are also not doing well, it wears you down, and in my opinion, maybe that's the way he’s feeling," he ended.