Skipper: We can beat Aussies

DOUBLE world record batsman Brian Lara named West Indies captain for the second time yesterday said he did not expect to be back so soon after giving up the role two years ago.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced yesterday that Lara will replace Carl Hooper as captain of the West Indies team against Australia and Sri Lanka with 22-year-old Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan as his deputy. Lara speaking after the semi-final Carib Beer International Cup match between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados said: “I would not have taken the job if I thought we couldn’t beat Australia and now I think I have the right tools to get the job done.” Lara was first appointed captain in January 1998 and gave up captaincy after two years at the helm. “I am more experienced now and I think I would do a much better job now,” he said.

Lara who said he was not ready to return to the captaincy so soon had a change of heart after the situation around the regional team changed. “We have a different set-up now and I think if I didn’t take the job it would have been a dereliction of duty, since most of the team is so young. “I am happy to be back as captain and ready to mould this very talented team into a winning bunch. We could not have asked for a better challenge than the world champions first up and I am really interested in building characters and making better players. “We need to compete against Australia and once we do that we will be moving in the right direction. The pitches in the Caribbean are results oriented and once we compete with them (Aussies) I see no reason why we can’t topple them. “Come Test time it would be 11 men against 11 men, they are the stronger team on paper but I have 11 cricketers and will be going all out to get them.” Lara said.

Last time Lara captained the West Indies against Australia in the Caribbean the series ended 2-2 with the batting genius getting three hundreds, including an epic 213 not out in Jamaica. Lara also said he would love to have an in-form Carl Hooper in the team against Australia. “Carl would have to tell us whether he would like to be in the set-up and once he is in form I would love to have him, ” the new captain said. Queen’s Park Cricket Club president and ex-West Indies spinner Willie Rodriguez who also played football for the West Indies said Lara was the logical choice. “It is too much of a burden for the younger players to be given the captaincy, so given this position I think it was the only logical choice,” he added.

And ex-Test pacer now commentator Ian Bishop said: “The younger players in the team are really not ready for leadership at the moment and hence going back to Lara was a good thing. They need strong leadership against the Australians and Lara will provide this.” “Lara is the best man to captain the West Indies cricket team at the moment.” said former West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago off-spinner Rangy Nanan. And West Indies Players Association president Dinanath Ramnarine said: “The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) will like to congratulate Brian Lara on his elevation as captain of the West Indies team.”