Eng vs WI: Brian Lara hits out at Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell for skipping England tour

Cricketing action will resume on Wednesday, July 8, when England host West Indies in the first match of the three-match Test series. The ENG vs WI match will be the first international cricket match played after the rampant spread of the coronavirus pandemic and doubts have been raised about the safety measures and protocols in place amidst the current environment. West Indian trio Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo and Sheldon Cottrell decided to give the ENG vs WI tour a miss and drew flak from cricket legend and Windies great Brian Lara.  

Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar Interviews Brian Lara, Predicts 2 WI Players Who Will Trouble England

Brian Lara slams West Indian trio for skipping ENG vs WI series 

In a chat with Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara slammed Darren Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell and Shimron Hetmyer after they opted out of the ENG vs WI series. The West Indian trio opted out of the ENG vs WI series citing safety concerns amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Brian Lara said that the current West Indies team is not at full strength and said he is disappointed with the players who opted out of the tour. The Prince told Sachin Tendulkar that he would have chosen to play cricket especially with all the protocols put in place if he had the opportunity. Brian Lara added that to play for the West Indies is the stuff of dreams and one cannot pass up on opportunities like that. 

Also Read: New Era For Cricket As Historic England-West Indies Series Begins

Brian Lara names Jason Holder, Kemar Roach as key players for ENG vs WI series

Brian Lara previewed the ENG vs WI series with Sachin Tendulkar on Wednesday ahead of the first Test match at The Rose Bowl in Southampton. Lara believes Holder's leadership will be critical during the series and added that he is disappointed with the West Indian cricket board for not giving the 28-year-old a longer run in the limited-over formats. Lara also backed Kemar Roach to repeat his exploits from the Caribbean leg of the ENG vs WI tour and hopes that Shai Hope can replicate his ODI success in the longest format of the game. Sachin Tendulkar also lavished praise on the 'underrated' Jason Holder and said that the all-rounder consistently delivers with both bat and ball. The Master Blaster agreed with Brian Lara's assessment and claimed that the experienced Kemar Roach might have lost some pace but is one of the most complete fast bowlers in the world. 

Also Read: West Indies Can't Last Five Days, Says Country's Legend Brian Lara

ENG vs WI: England vs West Indies live streaming details 

Cricket fans can watch the live telecast of the England vs West Indies series across the Sony TV network (Sony Six, Sony Six HD, Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 1 HD) in India. Viewers can also watch the England vs West Indies live streaming on the Sony LIV app from 3.30 PM IST. For scorecard updates of the England vs West Indies, one can keep tabs on the social media accounts of England Cricket, West Indies Cricket and ICC. Fans can also catch the England vs West Indies live streaming online on Cricket Australia's official website (cricket.com.au). 

Also Read: Kieron Pollard Gives A Morale-boosting Pep Talk To WI Players Ahead Of England Series

(Image Credit: ICC Twitter)