Leading Windies a dream come true — Sarwan

GEORGETOWN: The young Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan says leading the West Indies team is a dream come true for him. It surfaced on Thursday that Sarwan would start the seven-match Cable and Wireless One-Day International (ODI) series as West Indies captain after doctors told regular skipper Brian Lara to rest his fractured little finger. “This is a dream come true,” Sarwan told reporters when the West Indies and England teams arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Thursday evening. The first ODI is scheduled for tomorrow at Bourda. “Since I was a young boy, I have always dreamt of leading the West Indies team onto the Bourda ground, and on Sunday, I would have my wish,” Sarwan said.

Lara, the new world record holder after his unbeaten 400 in the final Test match against England this week, has been advised by an orthopaedic surgeon to allow ten days for the fractured little finger on his right hand to heal properly. The 23-year-old Sarwan, Lara’s deputy for the past year, got a high approval rating from Lara, who arrived with the team. “I think that Sarwan has done a good job as vice-captain. 

“In South Africa he was exceptional and his team spirit is high and he has a great relationship with the other players and I am confident that he will lead our side to victory,” Lara said.  It is unclear exactly when Lara will return to the side. The prescribed 10-day break from the game would end on April 24, the date for the first of back-to-back ODIs in Lara’s homeland Trinidad and Tobago, making his appearance in those weekend matches uncertain. (CMC)