The First Word: Tell Lara whereto get off

Brian Lara has told us in no uncertain terms how little cricket means to him.

Asking to be relieved of the burden of leading a weak and losing team that he was unable to motivate and inspire was understandable.

What is hard to comprehend is the refusal to play and not even having the courtesy to tell West Indies fans the length of the short break.

Lest Lara, forgets, he owes cricket, and should be showing maturity and innate strength at what he has described as 'a difficult time'.

It is cricket that has given him fame and fortune and now, with the shackles of captaincy removed, Lara, still only 30, should carry on with the game that has given him international recognition.

I hope that he doesn't feel he is bigger than the game. If he does, he should be reminded that he is mortal like the rest of us and there is a price for arrogance.

None of us wants a repeat of the scenario in Pakistan in the 1980s when Imran Khan absented himself from tours whenever he pleased. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), for all its short-comings, must not allow Lara to call the shots. If Lara thinks he is not obligated to play when he so desires, the WICB is not obligated to select him.

West Indies' cricket is in too much of a mess to be sidetracked by a prima donna fighting a few battles of his own.

This must be the most difficult juncture in our cricket since the World War II. For the first time in living memory, we will go into a Test match without a world-class batsman and a captain not worthy of a place in a decent Test team.

'Tis not the time to jump and make merry at Carnival.