Brian Lara is back as West Indies captain for a third time, after past players asked him and present players urged him to accept the position.
By Garth WattleyOn a day when the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) also announced it had reached a final agreement with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) on the player retainer contracts that had threatened to mar the start of the one-day international home series against Zimbabwe, president Kenneth Gordon said Lara, now approaching his 37th birthday, was the best man for the job at present.
"Of players who were available it was felt that there were varying strengths but there were also varying weaknesses.
While there had been previous occasions on which he had been captain and therefore that in itself raises questions, it was felt that whatever the risks, the best risk was to go with Mr Lara," Gordon told a media conference at his Carlos Street, Woodbrook office.
"His experience is unquestioned, his knowledge was unquestioned," he added.
The WICB president, who said that Lara had not been appointed for any fixed period, explained the sequence of events that led to his appointment.
Gordon said separate discussions were held with Lara by three unnamed former West Indies players, "all of whom acted in their personal capacities and in what they regarded as in the best interests of West Indies cricket".
"At their suggestion, I met with Brian for more than hour in this very office on Monday. We had a frank and wide-ranging discussion which I considered highly productive.
"Independently, the three former players and myself all formed the view that Brian Lara is the best man for the job at this time. His strong desire to contribute to lifting West Indies cricket out of the doldrums and to run with this challenge has impressed us all. These views and recommendations were conveyed to the board of the WICB the executive of which met by teleconference on Monday afternoon."
Lara, and his predecessor in the job Shivnarine Chanderpaul were two of 13 players named by the West Indies selectors to oppose the Zimbabweans in a seven-match ODI series starting on Saturday in Antigua.
And Lara, who was replaced as skipper last year at the height of the contract and sponsorship dispute between the WICB and WIPA just before the start of the home series against South Africa, acknowledged that Chanderpaul was one of those who encouraged him to consider a third stint as skipper.
"I received a call from him before, also telling me that he would support whoever gets to the top but he thinks that I should give it some sort of consideration."
Lara said though, Chanderpaul was but just one of those who asked him to take the job once more.
Describing the overtures as "a very humbling experience", Lara said he also made calls to present and ex-players "who I thought would give me an objective view and they unequivocally thought the same as all the other individuals who were trying to influence me."
Lara, Windies captain first from 1998 to 1999 and then from 2003 to 2004, returns to the hottest seat in Caribbean cricket with a record of 10 wins and 23 losses in 40 matches behind him.
He declared no grand goals for this third tenure. But he did express cautious optimism.
"On this occasion I feel that I have the support necessary" he said. "I see my role as one who will be part of a group of former and present players making an effort to try to rebuild West Indies cricket.'
And when this third stint is done, the triple batting world record holder said he would be happy if a few things had occurred.
"Success for me first of all is producing a leader that will be able to take over, that has the capacity to lead. (And) the relationship between the West Indies Players Association and the West Indies Cricket Board reaches a point where you can see them holding hands in the street."
West Indies team:
Brian Lara (Capt) Chris Gayle, Runako Morton, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Smith, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Ian Bradshaw.
