Lara gets Ramkessoon’s nod

“As a short term measure there is no one better to lead the West Indies than the holder of the highest number of runs in Test cricket, Brian Lara,” said Dudnath Ramkessoon, first vice president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB). “Other players are surfacing but the best bet as the West Inides prepare for the 2007 World Cup is Lara. We want the best man for the job and who could motivate players to perform at their very best and who better could do such a job than Lara, a player from the top drawer in international cricket,” Ramkessoon said.

“Others who come readily to mind are players like Daren Ganga and Ramnarace Sarwan but I will choose Brian to lead and Sarwan as his vice-captain,” he said.

Ramkessoon said with the World Cup on our doorsteps the focus for the West Indies should be nothing short of the best and Brian Lara could fit such a job admirably. Ramkessoon said he found it difficult to support other names cropping up like Wavell Hinds or Chris Gayle but said he had nothing against those players . “I consider Lara as the ideal choice at present and the others must bide their time,” Ramkessoon said. He acknowledged that Dinesh Ramdin’s name was also being circulated in some quarters.

“But he has just arrived on the scene and even though he was the Under-19 West Indies captain at the world’ s tournament and had done a tremendously first class job, his day would soon come around,” said Ramkessoon. The chief selector of the TTCB said that Lara should seriously consider the offer if the West Indies Board so decides and give the World Cup tournament his final fling before hanging up his boots. “Lara should lead the West Indies up to 2007 World Cup and nothing else should matter,” Ramkessoon said.