Lara shrugs off injury worries

JOHANNESBURG: The West Indies cricketers will switch their focus firmly on South Africa, but it is with a concerned eye that they will look back, having lost a third player after just one week of their eight-and-a-half-week tour.

However, the touring team’s captain, Brian Lara, said it is with a positive frame of mind that they will be approaching Friday’s first Test at the Wanderers, despite the loss of all-rounder Omari Banks. The 20-year-old Banks became the third player to be put on a plane home yesterday, joining fast bowler Jerome Taylor (withdrawn before the tour even started), and up-and-coming batsman Marlon Samuels. Banks has been battling with a lower back stretch fracture since last week’s festival match against the Nicky Oppenheimer XI in Randjesfontein. His replacement will be announced later this week. “It is a bit worrying, having to do without a few players,” said Lara. “But it’s too close to a Test match to be thinking about what’s going on on the periphery; you’ve got to concentrate on what you have to do as a team. These things happen to any sporting team.” Instead, the West Indian captain sought to focus on the positives ahead of the first of four Tests against Graeme Smith’s side. “The only setback is that we wanted to keep a very competitive unit,” said Lara. “The guys going home did very well on tour. But as the unit gets a bit smaller in terms of guys being selected it’s going to bring a lot more camaraderie.” 

Lara felt their only warm-up match — against an inexperienced Free State side which reached a dull conclusion here late yesterday afternoon — served its purpose. “A lot of the West Indies’ style of play stems from our mental attitude and mentally I think we’re very strong. “Guys like Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ridley Jacobs benefited from the Free State match and I thought Mervyn Dillon bowled well, especially in the first innings. We’ve taken what we could get out of the match.” The fact that openers Chris Gayle (9 and 0) and Wavell Hinds (38 and 27) failed in both innings was not of concern to Lara, who looked in excellent touch himself, compiling 72 on the first day. “Chris is coming off a good One-Day series in Zimbabwe, so I wouldn’t only look at the figures. Wavell started pretty badly in the Caribbean before he came to Zimbabwe and there he was one of our best batsmen. Mentally the guys are very positive, and Shiv’s double century was great for his confidence.” The West Indies continued with batting practice on Monday morning, allowing Carlton Baugh and Daren Ganga to each reach the 100 mark before declaring, 643 ahead, and allowing their bowlers another opportunity to stretch their limbs. Dillon and Rampaul bowled accurately, but with a Test looming it was apparent both were keeping something in reserve.