Be wary of quick fixes

Quick fixes may solve an immediate problem, but they more often than not compound long-term ones, even with a living legend summoned to provide the solutions to challenges both near and far in one fell swoop.

He would probably have preferred not to assume the responsibility of leadership for a third time, yet Brian Lara had no choice but to accede to the collective begging of certain West Indies board officials and some outstanding former players.

Having sampled the potent brew in the poisoned chalice of regional captaincy twice before (three times if you include the occasion he led the home side to a stunning Test victory over India in Barbados in 1997 when Courtney Walsh was sidelined by injury), the soon-to-be 37-year-old probably needed more persuading than before to take up a job he once coveted so desperately. However, having scaled almost every available summit in the Himalayan range of batsmanship, Lara will don the captain's burgundy blazer again tomorrow morning for the first one-dayer against Zimbabwe in St John's because he is still driven by the desire to be remembered, not just as a record-breaking run-scorer, but as the man who heralded a new dawn in West Indies cricket.

I have previously stated in this space that the champion from Cantaro, great batsman that he is, is deficient in the qualities that define a true leader of men. In the midst of Shivnarine Chanderpaul's struggles as captain, I first nominated Wavell Hinds and, most recently, Ramnaresh Sarwan to be given the job.

Getting it wrong is nothing new with me, and I would be happy to acknowledge that I was way off the mark if, by the time he makes his final bow from the international scene, West Indies is well on the way to emerging from the darkest period-on and off the field-in our history. But I can't help drawing on the theme of Deryck Murray's address to a sports journalists' workshop last weekend, when the former West Indies wicketkeeper and new Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president questioned whether we were all operating as if next year's World Cup is the be all and end all of our existence.

As much as it will be a massive boost to the game here if the hosts were to lift the trophy after the final at the new Kensington Oval exactly a year from today, very recent evidence suggests that even success on the world stage has not made a fundamental difference to the now 11-year decline in West Indian fortunes.

Lara was at the helm on that cold September day in 2004 when Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw piloted their team to a two-wicket victory over England in the final of the ICC Champions' Trophy at The Oval in London. That was supposed to have been the long-awaited springboard out of the mire. So what has happened since then? One win in 14 Tests and three victories in 23 one-day Internationals. The defending champions actually have to endure the embarrassment of qualifying for this year's edition of the Champions' Trophy in India in October. Since that dramatic win in near darkness, Caribbean fans have been increasingly disgusted by collapses on the field and ugly public wrangling between the players and the administration off it. It is understandable then that Ken Gordon would wish to only look ahead optimistically to the future, especially with what now appears to be a final agreement on retainer contracts, ten years after it was first mooted and energetically pursued by then president Pat Rousseau.

But even if he did not wish to entertain questions on any of the "trash" of the past at Wednesday's media conference, the current WICB president cannot reasonably expect everyone to just jump wholesale onto the bandwagon that he has attempted to kick-start in the immediate aftermath of the long-overdue settlement between the Players' Association and the WICB.

Yes, there is reason for hope there as well. However, an appreciation of present circumstances and expectations for the future are only possible through an understanding of the past. It is a recent past so sullied by humiliating capitulations and tarnished by such outright public bitterness that some of us have every right to be treading carefully instead of dancing on the ceiling.

One of Lara's stated goals in his third term at the helm is to nurture a long-term leader. Yet the selectors, the board and the influential former players could not come up with a vice-captain at the same time that they were announcing the return of the Prince. It is understood that WIPA is not happy with certain financial aspects of the inaugural Stanford 20/20, so will they abide by the agreed conflict resolution process or threaten drastic action if they sense that the administrators are not playing fair?

Just two points to ponder on the eve of a series that should provide the national hero with big scores and convincing victories. And that's where it can be so misleading to put too much stock behind performances against a team in even more strife than our own.

Blind parochialism will see many here in a state of euphoria over their hero being back in charge. However, having a master batsman as captain, retainer contracts signed and a World Cup on the horizon-as encouraging as they all are-cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, lead automatically to the long-awaited turnaround.