FORMER West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite believes the coaching staff must ensure Jamaican teenager Vitel Lawes continues to develop, after his recent struggles against India.

Lawes recently returned from the Windies’ white-ball tour of India where he played in the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series.

The 19-year-old came to prominence during the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year and made his senior international debut against New Zealand in July. He took eight wickets in the five-match series, which the Windies lost 3-2, including best figures of 3-39 in the third ODI.

However, Lawes went wicketless in the second and third ODIs against India, conceding 127 runs across the two matches as the Windies lost the series 2-1.

Several Caribbean fans criticised his performances and questioned whether he was ready for international cricket.

Former West Indies fast bowler and cricket commentator Ian Bishop, who covered the series, defended the young Jamaican.

“I’ll say it again: We have to be patient with Vitel Lawes and manage the youth better,” he said on X. “We keep rushing the kid into scenarios he isn’t ready for. Please give him time to grow and get his reps in. He is 19 years old, not 29 years old.”

Brathwaite, who helped the West Indies win the T20 World Cup in 2016, is concerned about the support Lawes will receive as he gains experience at the international level.

“A part of me is happy he’s getting the opportunities and that we’re backing a young player, but for me now the follow-up is how do we support that young player,” he said on The Super Over podcast.

“The challenge I found that West Indies cricket has had is not necessarily finding talent — [because] finding talent has always been quite easy for us — I think the difficulty for West Indies is honing that talent.” Brathwaite believes Head Coach Daren Sammy and his staff must find ways to help Lawes improve, especially with fewer opportunities for young players to gain experience in first class cricket because of Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) financial difficulties.

“You look to three first class games this season and no Super 50, [so] where does a Vitel Lawes now go at a level below international cricket and learn his game? He would have had lots of things that he would have done well and be happy with, and there’ll be a lot more things that he probably was unhappy with coming out of India, things he can work on, but where does he work on those things?” Brathwaite asked.

“Does he work on those things in a random pitch somewhere in Jamaica where the pressure is off and the spotlights are off as well? Or do we throw him in at first class level, 50-over level, T20 level? What is the level between CPL and international cricket? So, my challenge to the powers that be in West Indies cricket is to see what Vital Lawes has done well, see the challenges he’s had, and now give him an opportunity to be able to learn at the level below so he can have a quicker bounce back and not be like a Jewel Andrew a couple years later, flirting between the doldrums and — I don’t want to say failure — but not hitting the heights that we expected of him two years ago.”

Sammy said in September that the team would remain patient with Lawes because of his ability as a wrist spinner.

“Vitel, to me, is a find for us. What we saw in him that caused him to debut against New Zealand was all part of the planning and the processes we put in place. You’ve heard me for years talking about a wrist spinner in the West Indies team, and Vitel came in and immediately had an impact on the bowling unit for us,” he said.

“He’s still got a long way to go but we will continue with his development through either playing games or the specific work we’ve put in place for him. He’s worked really well with Nikita Miller and Ravi Rampaul. We’ll continue creating those opportunities for him and, hopefully, he can continue to grow. A little bit fast-tracked, but we’re pleased with what he’s done so far.”