Croft: Lara should quit captaincy

West Indies great Colin Croft believes Brian Lara should quit as captain after two big Test cricket defeats to England. Lara has come under pressure after scores of 0 and 8 in the Second Test defeat in Trinidad, when he dropped down to six in the batting order. “Brian Lara should do the honourable thing now and fall on his sword,” Croft told BBC Radio Five Live. “He should say ‘Look I have given up’ —- like he did the first time —- and play as a batsman and that’s it.” Croft added: “I am not saying the players will get any better —- but they can’t become any worse.”

Lara was censured for showing dissent towards the umpires after they offered England the light on the third day of the Second Test. He admitted he is struggling for form and pledged to work hard on his technique ahead of the third Test starting in Barbados on  April1. “It’s a situation I’ve been in before and climbed out of it on many occasions and I still back myself to do so again,” he said. Lara’s first three-year reign as captain ended in January 2000 when he resigned after the West Indies were whitewashed on a tour to New Zealand. He was re-appointed after last year’s World Cup but has come under pressure following Test series defeats to South Africa and Australia in recent times.