Lara felt left out of process

BRIDGETOWN: West Indies captain Brian Lara feels aggrieved that he was not part of the selection panel that picked the 14-member West Indies squad that took part in the three-nation limited-overs international cricket VB Series in Australia. Lara disclosed on his return to the Caribbean from the tournament that he should have been part of the selection process and this did not happen because under a new policy his position as captain was not confirmed until the squad had been selected. West Indies were knocked out of the competition that also involved the hosts and Pakistan, who meet in the first match of the best-of-three finals on Friday (Last night East Caribbean Time).

“You would think that someone who is in charge of the team and had won the ICC Champions Trophy would have had something to do with the selection,” Lara told reporters after his arrival at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday. “Unfortunately, this was not the case. If you have a new selection policy and there is a coach who has a lot of say in the process and does not have the experience of knowing West Indies cricket, then there will be areas in which you will fall down,” Lara said. “I’m sure that the selectors are astute enough to know what’s happening in West Indies cricket, the right players that are needed, and we will hopefully see some improvement the next time we take the field,” he said.

Lara believes the trip to Australia was an opportunity for the new coaching staff to have a look at the team and devise the kind of strategy that would help the team get on track. “I think it’s going to work out in the long run,” he said. “It will be very hard for them to come at this stage and get immediate results,” Lara said. “I thought we had a very good chance of winning the competition if we had beaten Pakistan because we were improving as a team. But we will have to take two steps backward before we take a step forward. They have seen what is in front of them now and they will have to act accordingly,” he said. Lara thinks the future of West Indies cricket is bright, although they did not make the finals of the VB Series and is looking forward to the upcoming home series against South Africa and Pakistan.

“I think it is important for us to pick team players —  guys who are willing to sweat for the team and toil out in the middle,” he said. “I think we are improving. I think one of the main areas the coaching staff is considering is improving the skills of individual players,” Lara said. He added: “What we are hoping to see is a better tactical awareness, understanding when to capture the moment, knowing when we need to put pressure on the opposition, and understanding that a particular period of play is important to winning a game,” he said.

“These things come from experience, but they also come from people telling you what’s going on, and I think the Australia trip will put the coaching staff in good stead for the home series against South Africa and Pakistan,” he said. Lara again emphasised the need for the senior players in the team to step up and make a significant contribution. “I think this team is ready to perform with the likes of Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Dwayne Bravo and myself,” he said. “All of us have had enough experience and I think it is time we start to win some Test series and One-day Internationals.” (CMC)