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| April 2, 2003 | Wednesday | Muharram 29, 1424 |
Lara wants captaincy until retirement
BRIDGETOWN, April 1: Recalled West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara says he has no regrets about giving up the role in 2000, but felt he could not turn it down again.
Lara was surprisingly reappointed to the job on Monday, replacing Carl Hooper, after West Indies failed to advance beyond the first round at the World Cup.
“In retrospect, I think it was a good decision at the time (to give up the captaincy) and now it’s a big challenge,” Lara said on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) official website.
“I’ve had two years of introspection, two years of looking and seeing where I’ve gone wrong, where I can play a part in West Indies cricket.
“Now it’s a lot more receptive in my new role in leadership. I expect a lot of support from the people and the team also.”
The 33-year-old previously led the West Indies between 1998 and 2000 before quitting after a disastrous tour of New Zealand where the team lost both Test matches and all five One-day Internationals.
Lara then went into self-imposed exile for four months and many wondered whether the world record holder for most runs in a Test innings (375) and first class innings (501 not out) would ever play again.
“It was a period of introspection after that when I gave up the captaincy,” he added.
“(But) realistically, looking at the setup of our team, we have a big age gap between the youngsters and older guys in the team (and) there is not much there in terms of experience so I think it would be a dereliction in my duty if I was presented with the job...to turn it down.
“I see my responsibilities and I want to play a part.”
He also said, that if given the opportunity, he would like to continue as captain of the side until he retired.
“I think I’ve got the right tools to do that but it is whatever the board and the selectors decide that is for the benefit of West Indies cricket.”
West Indies play Australia in four Tests and seven One-day Internationals starting on April 10, before hosting Sri Lanka in three one-dayers and a two-Test series beginning on June 7.
Lara, who has scored 7,572 runs in 90 Tests at an average of 49.49, said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing the World Cup winners.
“It is going to be a great challenge for us. There is no better opposition than Australia to start shaping our character against.
“It’s a great challenge for me again. The last time Australia was here four years ago, I led the team but this would be a different occasion.
“We’ve got a team that is very young and ...full of potential (but) we need to shape our characters, especially in the tough times, especially against the best team in the world.
“There is no better opposition to do that against.”
And the 33-year-old is confident his side can compete with the Australians.
“I wouldn’t take the job if I didn’t think we could win the series,” said Lara.
Lara said that other than Hooper and Ridley Jacobs there was little experience in the side.
“So I think it would be a dereliction of duty if I was presented the job and to turn it down. I see my responsibilities and I want to play a part.”
Lara has already captained the side in 18 Tests, with a 6-10 win-loss record, while he also was in charge for 44 One-day Internationals between March 1997 and January 2000.
In 1998, he was sacked as captain when a players’ revolt over pay delayed the start of a tour of South Africa but was reinstated four days later to end the impasse.
During Australia’s 1999 tour to the Caribbean, Lara led by example, scoring a brilliant 213 in Kingston, which helped his side to share the series 2-2.
The West Indies Cricket Board named Ramnaresh Sarwan as vice-captain and added they were appointing Bennett King as new team coach subject to inking contractual negotiations.
Former West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft told the BBC that the West Indies had little choice but to plump for Lara for the captaincy with few experienced alternatives available.
“I think it will go down pretty well in the Caribbean. I think he was given the captaincy too early the first time. He’s better equipped to deal with it now,” Croft said.
The West Indies, World Cup winners in 1975 and 1979, endured a poor competition in this year’s event.
They finished fourth in Group ‘B’ in South Africa with three wins, two defeats and a rain-ruined no-result against Bangladesh which knocked them out of the tournament at the first round stage.
Australian Test captain Steve Waugh said before leaving Sydney he believed the West Indies, led by Lara, were on the way to becoming a force again in world cricket.
“They went through a tough phase for a few years. They’ve rebounded fairly well and they seem to be more together,” said Waugh, who has played a world record 156 Test matches.
Australia are fresh from a 4-1 Ashes series victory over England and a successful World Cup title defence and are keen to reclaim their ranking as the top Test side from South Africa.—Reuters/AFP
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