<p>Batting legend Brian Lara has backed West Indies cricket to survive the current crisis arising out of the team's abrupt withdrawal from the India tour over a pay dispute with its board and players' association, as he believes the "BCCI will not be that severe on us".</p>.<p><br />The already cash-strapped West Indies Cricket Board was left facing a USD 42 million claim by its Indian counterparts for lost earnings after its side pulled out of the India tour following the fourth ODI in Dharamsala on October 17.<br /><br />The fifth one-day international, a Twenty20 match and three Tests still remained to be played.</p>.<p><br />A livid BCCI then slapped sanctions on the Caribbean board and suspended bilateral ties with them.</p>.<p><br />But Lara does not expect the BCCI to pull the plug on Caribbean cricket.<br /><br />"I don't think the BCCI will be that severe on us," Lara told 'BBC Sport'.</p>.<p><br />"I believe West Indies cricket will be alive. I don't think anybody has the intention to end our game," the retired former batsman added.</p>.<p><br />"We've got some of the best talents in the world, so I believe West Indies cricket is going to survive and it's now about how we take this forward," said Lara, one of cricket's all-time greatest players, who scored nearly 12,000 in 131 Tests, including 34 hundreds at an average of more than 52.</p>
<p>Batting legend Brian Lara has backed West Indies cricket to survive the current crisis arising out of the team's abrupt withdrawal from the India tour over a pay dispute with its board and players' association, as he believes the "BCCI will not be that severe on us".</p>.<p><br />The already cash-strapped West Indies Cricket Board was left facing a USD 42 million claim by its Indian counterparts for lost earnings after its side pulled out of the India tour following the fourth ODI in Dharamsala on October 17.<br /><br />The fifth one-day international, a Twenty20 match and three Tests still remained to be played.</p>.<p><br />A livid BCCI then slapped sanctions on the Caribbean board and suspended bilateral ties with them.</p>.<p><br />But Lara does not expect the BCCI to pull the plug on Caribbean cricket.<br /><br />"I don't think the BCCI will be that severe on us," Lara told 'BBC Sport'.</p>.<p><br />"I believe West Indies cricket will be alive. I don't think anybody has the intention to end our game," the retired former batsman added.</p>.<p><br />"We've got some of the best talents in the world, so I believe West Indies cricket is going to survive and it's now about how we take this forward," said Lara, one of cricket's all-time greatest players, who scored nearly 12,000 in 131 Tests, including 34 hundreds at an average of more than 52.</p>