Lara returns as WI captain

Lara, who will turn 37 on May 2, first led the WI in a dramatic 39-run win against India in Barbados in 1997, but officially replaced Courtney Walsh in January 1998, for the home series against England. He resigned in January 2000, citing “moderate success and devastating failure.”

After Jimmy Adams and Carl Hooper were both fired from the job in 2001 and 2003 respectively, Lara returned to the post for the 2003 home series against Australia. And he remained until he was relieved of the job in March 2005 during the infamous contractual row between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

Altogether, Lara has a record as captain of ten wins and 23 defeats in 40 Tests, and 37 wins and 42 losses in 85 one-dayers. However he led the WI team to glory at the ICC Champions Trophy in England in August 2004.

Captains who have served the regional team twice are Barbadian John Goddard, captain from 1948 until 1952, but was reinstated in 1957 while the Windies most successful skipper Clive Lloyd, who was initially appointed in 1974, resigned in 1978 during the Kerry Packer era, but was reinstated the following year.

The names Ramnaresh Sarwan, Daren Ganga, Denesh Ramdin, Sylvester Joseph, Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle were bandied about by the critics and the ordinary man on the street to replace Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who resigned earlier this month after the team lost ten out of 14 Tests and 14 out of 16 One-Day Internation-als under his watch.

The holder of the game’s highest innings score in Test (400 not out against England in 2004) and First-Class cricket (501 not out for Warwickshire versus Durham in 1994), as well as the highest aggregate in Tests (11,294 in 124 matches at an average of 53.02), will be expected to lift the team’s morale, and fortunes, with his leadership skills ahead of the 2007 World Cup, which will be staged here in the Caribbean.

But the WICB, in a media conference at Carlos Street, Woodbrook yesterday, did not announce a deputy for Lara, who is one of the oldest persons to be given the mantle. The legendary Jamaican George Headley was the oldest WI to be given the task, at age 38, during the 1948 home series against England.

“It’s a great honour,” Lara said. “It’s the third time I’m taking the job and I feel I have the necessary support. (Shivnarine) Chanderpaul did a wonderful job under the circumstances,” Lara continued. “He’ll reap the benefits later in life. He called me and he said he’d support me and asked that I give it some consideration.”

Lara revealed that he held discussions with a number of past and present players who “unequivocally thought the same as the others who were trying to influence me.”

Stressing that he is concerned about the recent spate of injuries among the players, especially the young crop of pace bowlers, Lara noted that, as far as his career is concerned, “I’ve cut down on one-day internationals but I’ve always shown an interest in World Cup.

“I haven’t pinpointed a time to call it a day,” he acknowledged. “Right now, I’ve pushed aside retirement. It’s tough to say when this will happen. (When) I become a liability, I’ll call it a day.”

Noting that he offered his support to recent captains Adams, Hooper and Chanderpaul, Lara declared: “Now, the board and selectors have gone for experience instead of youth. I see myself as a leader. I’ve been out of the captaincy job for more than a year,” he continued. “Before that, I did have a say in selections, (also) meeting with coaches, manager and selectors.

“That’s going to be decided then,” Lara added. “With my experience, I’m playing for 16 years, my opinion has always been asked. I expect a friendly atmosphere.”

Lara, who has had an uneasy relationship with the Board, noticeably his fall-out with then captain Richie Richardson during the 1995 England tour said the relationship between WICB and players must be where they are holding hands on the street.

“We need to create a resurgence in our cricket going into the World Cup,” said Lara. “We have the most cricketers under the age of 25 because of injury, loss of form, etcetra.

“We have to use that in our favour. We need to test the waters, test new players against Zimbabwe. When we travel to big tournaments, we must have the best possible squad. Some people argue for stability. But I believe we should pick from more players. We have the talent. Just a matter of everyone coming together to deliberate on moving forward.”

But Lara highlighted the need to build the team step by step in order to rise to the top of both the Test and one-day rankings.

“The expectation over the years, during years of decline, was that we’d turn the corner and head back to the top immediately,” he said. “That has not come to fruition.

“We now have a group of exciting cricketers,” Lara continued. “But the gap between First-Class and Test cricket is so great, players can’t make the jump. That’s something that the selectors and cricket committee has to address.”

WICB president Ken Gordon stated that Lara’s appointment is not interim. “His appointment as captain stands, and it is not for any fixed period of time,” he said.

“It is logical to go back to Lara. Of all the players available, they each had varying strengths but there were also varying weaknesses. He brings a lot to the table at this time which will make a material difference. Whatever the risks, the best is to go with Lara, whose experience and knowledge is unquestioned,” Gordon said.