Lara under fire, calls to resign
Elmo Rodirgopulle
That West Indies cricket is in a crisis there is no doubt. If this is
not so how can one explain three defeats in a row in the Super 8 after
three wins in a row in Group stage.
When the West Indies were asked to host the 9th Edition of the World
Cup by the ICC, the hopes were that the home team would try to emulate
the achievements of their 1975 and 1979 teams which won the first two
World Cups in England.
Hopes ran high and every West Indian was overjoyed when the team won
the three Group games with ease.
But into the Super 8 and suddenly things began to go wrong for Brian
Lara’s team. Defeats against Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka
frustrated the fans as cracks began to show.
Now the Windies chances are bleak and if the lackadaisical manner in
which they are playing at the moment is an indication, then it is the
end of the line for them in their endeavour to become the first host
nation to win the World Cup.
Firstly former pace legend and now selector Andy Roberts took Lara’s
team selection and tactics to task and together they had a running
verbal battle, that certainly did not do any good to their game.
Now two more former fast bowling legends Michael Holding and Colin
Croft have moved in to bat against Brian Lara joined by the other
experts and fans.
Holding whose lighting pace had many a batsman running for cover
during his days, was bold enough to ask Brian Lara to resign as captain.
Holding was quoted in the ‘Guardian’ as saying: ‘Lara has to step
aside, not necessarily as a player, but as a captain. He appears bigger
than the game. He has got whatever he has wanted.
“We haven’t seen an improvement when he has taken over the captaincy.
Everyone knows he’s a great batsman, but that’s not what it takes to
lead them. I can’t even say he is a good captain tactically. Writing in
the ‘Guyana Chronicle’ and calling the situation ‘desperate’ Croft
wrote: It was terrible and like all other West Indian supporters and
former players, this hurts terribly.
I don’t think that the West Indies have anything special about them
now. I cannot remember seeing a team look so poor on the field. Times
have now decidedly desperate for the West Indies cricket team and this
has nothing to do with the World Cup.
‘The West Indies team, based on what I saw on Sunday, is in a very
bad state’, wrote Croft.
Croft agreed with Holding that Lara’s leadership was probably not
working.
Writing further Croft said: ‘It is very obvious that the West Indies
players are either not reacting positively to the captain or that they
are not as good as the people that have selected them’.
Cricket crazy fans here have also joined in the calls to take the
reins away from Brian Lara after their hopes were raised by an unbeaten
run in the group matches.
West Indies now have to play South Africa, England and Ireland. South
Africa would be tough opposition. One more loss and the ‘exist’ door
will be theirs.
Sad it will be when that happens.
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua, Thursday |
