Lara: Senior players must perform

Friday, January 21, 2011

BANGALORE, India (CMC) — Former West Indies captain Brian Lara believes that the senior players in the Caribbean side will have to play crucial roles if the team is to do well at the World Cup starting next month in Asia.

Lara, in India for a set of coaching clinics, said West Indies' chances at the February 19 to April 2 tournament would depend on how well the seasoned campaigners performed.

On Wednesday, West Indies announced their 15-man squad for the tournament, with key players Shiv Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan all included.

"The team has some experienced players in Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan," said Lara, who quit international cricket four years ago.

"They have a key role to play and the prospects of the team would depend on the lead roles they take towards the team's cause. (Darren) Sammy has just started as a captain and he needs the support of the seniors to do a good job."

Lara, who led West Indies in 47 Tests and 125 One-Day International during his glittering career, also supported the recall of Sarwan for the showpiece.

Sarwan was dropped last year for the tour of Sri Lanka and not offered a retainer contract by the West Indies Cricket Board who criticised the Guyanese right-hander for his "extremely indifferent attitude and sporadic approach towards fitness".

West Indies have not won a World Cup since capturing back-to-back titles in the 1975 and 1979 tournaments. They reached the final of the 1983 showpiece where they lost to India and their best performance since then came in the 1996 World Cup when they reached the semi-final.

Lara said he had fond memories of the quarter-final victory against South Africa where he scored a magnificent 111.

"The South Africans came into the quarter-final with an unbeaten record in the league stage and they crashed out losing to us, thanks to my century in that quarter-final match in Pakistan," Lara recalled.

"We have not done well in World Cups after that. So that remains my best World Cup memory."

West Indies have been installed in Group B and will do battle with Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, the Netherlands and South Africa.