Georgetown: Cricket has been the heartbeat of his life, but watching the 2007 West Indians play in the World Cup has left legendary off-spinner Lance Gibbs in deep despair.

Gibbs, who took 309 Test wickets in his illustrious career, believes the current West Indies side, which is facing elimination from the World Cup, has a crucial quality missing from their make-up.

“Where is the pride for representing the Caribbean?” questioned Gibbs, who has travelled from his Miami home to watch the matches.

“They must know about pride as, apart from cricket, we are separate nations. Cricket is a cohesive force and these players have a responsibility to unite the Caribbean, which they are failing to do,” Gibbs said.

The West Indies, hosting the Cup for the first time, face an uphill task to make the semi-final cut after losing all three Super Sight matches so far.

Brian Lara’s men not only need to win their remaining matches, but also hope other results go their way, like Bangladesh’s win over South Africa the other day.

“If you perform, you will be well rewarded, monetarily as well as in terms of progress. When successful cricketers walk on the streets, they are recognised, which even Presidents and Prime Ministers sometimes aren’t,” said Gibbs, adding that a strong West Indies is vital for world cricket.