London: Brian Lara believes the West Indies will have a chance to rebuild their ailing fortunes even in his absence.

Lara said he hoped a largely youthful team led by Ramnaresh Sarwan would now have a chance to rebuild away from the glare of publicity he generated.

“After 1995 we sort of went downhill. It doesn’t matter how many runs one person puts together. We want to get partnerships and 400 on the board. One person can’t get 400 on the board if there is nobody at the other end,” Lara said.

“Maybe the disparity between my achievements and how the other guys were looked upon was a problem. My expectation is that the team will raise its level a bit and rally round Sarwan.

“You don’t need a group of superstars, you need a team working together to bring you better results.”

Lara said it felt strange to be at Lord’s but not taking the field. “I saw the covers and the greenery, and it was tough. It was very emotional.

“But at the end of the day, I really want to see the West Indies do well. We’ve got to move on.” The last time they played England in Tests, the West Indies lost 0-3 at home and 0-4 away.

Lara said the key problem was the domestic set-up in the West Indies, which didn’t convert youthful talent into Test match standard players.

“I still believe the West Indies have the best under-15, under-19 talent. It’s just the infrastructure doesn’t go hand in hand with that and international cricket. That’s where the problem lies.”

The West Indies’ only series successes in their last 15 Test campaigns have been against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Ex-England coach Duncan Fletcher has been touted by Clive Lloyd as the man to restore the team’s fortunes.

“He did a great job for England,” said Lara of Fletcher. “But the infrastructure has to be good too. He would be very frustrated if he has to deal with the present situation.”