West Indies need culture change - Ganga

DURHAM, England (Reuters):

West Indies cricket needs a culture change if performances are to improve on a consistent basis, stand-in captain Daren Ganga said after their 3-0 series loss to England.

West Indies lost the last three Tests in the four-match series with defeat in the second at Headingley by an innings and 283 runs, the heaviest in their history. They have not won a Test for two years, in 20 matches.

Critics and the West Indies Cricket Board have questioned players' attitudes and levels of disciplin Ganga, who took over from the injured Ramnaresh Sarwan last month, believes this is getting better.

"We are definitely improving," Ganga told reporters after the touring side lost the fourth Test at Durham by seven wickets on Tuesday.

"West Indian culture is some-thing that is very unique and we need to find ways of slowly and gradually changing that relaxed mode into a more professional mode.

Well on our way

"We are well on our way, we just need to make subtle changes and it will take time and cannot happen overnight.

"But we have a lot of talent and potential in our team and it's about harnessing it and getting the right personnel in our team to ensure that we can get victories on the cricket field."

Trinidadian batsman Ganga led his team relatively well in a series marked by cold and wet weather and he spoke eloquently at media conferences, but his batting form was woeful. He has not made double figures in his last six innings.

He alluded to the fact that the added burden of leadership, after Sarwan returned home with a shoulder injury, may have affected his batting.

"The experience at international level in English conditions is something I experienced for the first time ... Leading this side in an international series is something I've never done before.

"I never expected to have that responsibility and I'll assess myself now to realise where I went wrong and see where I need to improve."

West Indies play two Twenty20 internationals next week before a three-match one-day series starting at Lord's on July 1.

Ganga is not in the one-day squad.