Lara not worried about Aussie whitewash

BRIDGETOWN: West Indies captain Brian Lara, whose team went 3-0 down to Australia after losing the Third Test on Monday, said he wanted to stick with his young side and was not concerned about an impending whitewash.

West Indies, with an average age of around 25, suffered three consecutive home defeats for the first time on Monday and could also suffer their first home whitewash if they lose the fourth and final Test in Antigua, starting Friday. “The records are not really my main worry. That’s of little importance,” said Lara, adding that better days lay ahead. “We have got some very good players here and they are on the verge of making the breakthrough in Test cricket. “I’m quite happy with the look of the team, I want us to play cricket the way we are playing. We are not to going to play Australia every day of the week. It’s all about character building and that is what is happening.” He added: “The experienced players have been tried and tested, a lot of them have come up short and I don’t see any need to go back to them. “In the batting department, we have done pretty well. The batting is going to take care of itself.”

Lara, who raised eyebrows when he won the toss and asked Australia to bat first on a docile pitch, admitted he had miscalculated after the tourists made a match-winning 605 for nine declared. “The pitch came up short,” he said. “It was not the greatest Test track and I couldn’t tell it was going to deteriorate so much, so it was unfortunate I chose to bowl.” Lara praised the performance of 20-year-old debutant off-spinner Omari Banks from the tiny island of Anguilla. “Omari bowled well, there are areas he has to improve to play Test cricket,” said Lara. “When you play First-Class matches, you get away with things but not in Test cricket.”

Australia captain Steve Waugh joined in Lara’s criticism of the pitch. Waugh said before the match that he had special plans for getting Lara out but said they were not put into action because of the pitch. “They were not applicable on this wicket. They couldn’t be put into action in this Test, so it was back to Plan ‘B’,” he said. “We are not overcritical of the pitch but it was different to what you expect in the West Indies. “The pitches here have been flat and we don’t want pitches worldwide to become too similar. I’d hate to think they will all become like one-day wickets.”