England should be selecting more individuals from the large pool of county cricketers rather than relying on players who grew up and learnt the game in South Africa, according to Viv Richards, who is on a visit to London this week.

Drawing on his experience of 12 seasons with Somerset, followed by a short period with Glamorgan, the great West Indies batsman forecast a difficult tour to South Africa for Andrew Strauss’s party.

“It will be tough for England out there,” he said. “They should be looking to push on after winning the Ashes. There has always been a complaint about there being too many county cricketers, but picking South Africans is not sending the right message.”

Richards was referring to Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. Strauss and Matt Prior were also born in South Africa, as were three performance squad players, including Craig Kieswetter, of Somerset, one of Richards’s former counties, who played for South Africa Under-19.

This has not been a memorable year for Richards, who is attending World Travel Market, an international trade show, at the ExCeL centre in East London this week in his capacity as an ambassador for the Antigua & Barbuda Tourist Board. He could only watch as the Test match between West Indies and England in February, on the ground that bears his name, was abandoned owing to an unfit playing surface. Then Allen Stanford was indicted for alleged fraud. “It was a huge blow,” Richards said. “But until he is proven guilty, we can all have a say.”

Richards does have plenty to say about the fractious state of cricket in the Caribbean after the player strikes in the summer over contract disputes. “A lot of things that have been going on have not been in West Indies’ best interests,” he said. “Those individuals who have dragged the game through the mud — Ernest Hilaire, the president of the board [Julian Hunte] and Dinanath Ramnarine, president of the the players’ union, should stand down. Maybe a finger could be pointed at Chris Gayle for not leading the team through [the year], but these issues need to be settled in advance.

“I never thought when I was a player in the 1970s and 1980s that West Indies cricket would go through such a low period — it is very sad. There is a sense of anger. It is like someone who fought in World Wars I and II seeing where we are today.

“What I can offer and am good at is motivating people. After being manager and chairman of selectors, that could be my next step in a freelance role. I want Test cricket to be in good shape. The guys who could have made a big contribution to West Indies cricket are looking a bit shaky at present. We have to bring people on board who have a knowledge of the game in the Caribbean and who are not pointing at their own bank accounts.”