Way to go, Lara

In that letter I referred to a statement by the first vice president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board that “Lara should lead the West Indies up to 2007 World Cup and nothing else matters.”

I reminded him that there were quite a few of us “who remain objective in spite of Brian Lara’s world-class achievements and know that plenty else matters.”

Since I do try to be fair and objective, this article, which it is hoped my editor finds space for, is to sincerely congratulate the Brian Lara who captained the West Indies in last Thursday’s nail-biting finish in the game we lost to India, I cannot remember ever seeing a Brian Lara of that ilk.

Gone was the indifferent attitude, here was a captain who was very serious about the job he had been selected to do, was in full command, and total communication with his team.

Here was a Brian Lara on whose face one could see very visible emotion when his fieldsmen dropped many important catches and also because of sloppy fielding allowed the Indians to make runs which should not have been made.

Here was a Brian Lara, who actually threw himself on the ground to effectively stop the Indians in their bid to make the required number of runs when they were running out of time.

I found myself praying for him to win this very important game. And fully realised and appreciated that here was someone whose knowledge of the game, now brought into full force on behalf of West Indies cricket, was constantly foreseeing exactly where his men should be placed as the run-rate changed from one delivery to the next.

By the time this article makes the pages of Newsday, the Saturday one-day will be over. But I do hope that Lara and his team would have won this game, as he truly deserves the victory. One should not only be prepared to criticise but must give credit when it has been so well earned.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was written on Friday. The West Indies won Saturday’s second One Day International against India by one run in a last over cliffhanger.