Drakes brings wealth of experience to ‘QP’

Former West Indian fast bowler Vasbert Drakes will serve as the Queen’s Park Cricket Club’s new cricket coach-player for the 2005 season. This announcement was made by West Indies captain and double world record-holder Brian Lara during his feature address at the club’s annual awards function ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Ballroom on Friday night. Lara was recounting his memorable moments in Test cricket and referred to West Indies’ historic 418-run chase to beat the Steve Waugh’s mighty Australians at the Antigua Recreation Ground last year. Drakes stayed with newcomer Omari Banks as they romped to a three-wicket victory after Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan each notched centuries to pilot West Indies to the world record second innings chase.

Lara praised Drakes and the others for their determination in ensuring that the West Indies team did not reap a home series whitewash. The four-match Test series ended 3-0. Playing for the West Indies team, Drakes appeared in 12 Tests and 34 One-Day Internationals. He made 386 runs (21.44) with 67 being his highest Test score while he claimed 33 Test wickets (41.27) with five wickets for 93, being his best individual analysis. In ODIs, the 35-year-old snapped with 51 wickets at 25.35 each. Twice he took a five-wicket haul with five for 33 his match best. Apart from playing for his native Barbados, he played professionally in the United Kingdom for Sussex and Nottinghamshire counties and also for Border in South Africa.

Playing in 164 First Class matches during his career, Drakes tallied 4,774 which included four centuries and 180 not out being his highest. Bowling right-arm medium pace, he snagged 614 wickets including 28 five-wickets and three ten-wickets hauls. His individual best analysis was eight wickets for 59. The Barbadian will take pride that he featured in winning debut Test and One-Day Internationals. His regional career ended with Barbados winning the inaugural Carib Beer Series double titles last year. Drakes brings a wealth of experience to the QPCC and his younger charges should be willing subjects eager to gain as much as possible from a West Indian who knows how to fight for success.