Hooper: Change needed at the top

Expressing embarrassment at the West Indies’ historic loss in the Test series against Australia and warming that the side’s decline in the longest format of the game could further worsen, former captain Carl Hooper has called for changes.

Hooper, who captained West Indies in 22 Test and played more than 100, said nothing else had worked to deliver results. “Since 1993 we’ve struggled and certainly judging from the results, there’s no policies or systems that have been implemented that is changing the downward course we’re on,” he told ABC Sport.

“We’ve changed captains, we’ve changed personnel, we’ve changed coaches — it hasn’t worked.  So maybe let’s go a bit higher and get people in these positions that can lead us in the right direction,” added Hooper, who scored more than 5,000 runs and took more than 100 wickets and 100 catches in both Test and ODIs during his 16-year career.

West Indies lost both matches in their two-match series against Australia — the second recently by 419 runs at Adelaide Oval. Not only was that their worst-ever Test defeat, but their second innings of 77 all out equaled their seventh lowest total in the  history  of red ball cricket.

“How much lower can we go?,” asked Hooper.

Despite the demoralizing defeat, Hooper said it might not be the worst the Caribbean side will face.

“I don’t think we’ve hit rock bottom because every time I think we have, we keep go in lower. It’s getting more and more embarrassing.  I’m hurt today. I’ve never played in a West Indies side that has been bowled out for under 100. Just never,” the former all-rounder said.