Man U great Dwight Yorke pleased with Windies’ form in T20Is and ODIs

Kolkata, July 27 (IANS) Manchester United great Dwight Yorke, who is a close friend of cricket legend Brian Lara on Wednesday said the Caribbean side might be on a downward curve in Test matches but in the shorter formats they are quite a force to reckon with.

"I always have been a cricket fan, Brian Lara is my best friend and cricket has always been a part of me. I know exactly things that go on in and around cricket," Yorke told reporters here.

"West Indies have been in a downward spiral for some years when it comes to Test cricket. India won the first Test so congratulations to them. But in the T20 and the 50-over game, West Indies are very competitive," said the former Blackburn Rovers forward.

The 44-year-old is content with the success that West Indies have had in the shorter formats of the sports last year which includes winning the World T20 and the Under-19 World Cup.

"We have had a great year, we won the T20 World Cup in India, right here and then the women’s T20 and also the under-19 World Cup. We have had a hat-trick of successes. Yes, Test cricket in West Indies has been in a turmoil, but certainly in T20 we can compete with the very best,” said Yorke.

“Maybe players who are involved too much with T20s can come back and give some credibility back to Test cricket.”