Whew!! West Indies, Lara and all!!

Whatever anyone may think of Brian Lara, like him or loathe him, rest assured about one thing. Brian Lara is no fool!! He knows exactly where he is when it comes to West Indian cricket and is quite prepared to use every situation to his advantage. Some might even say that he is as great a manipulator as he is a batsman.

Even with alumni as well known as Lara's mentor, former West Indian opening batsman and present selector Michael "Joey" Carew, former Trinidad & Tobago opening batsman and West Indies soccer player, Alvin Corneal, and of course, former world 200 meter champion, Ato Boldon, Fatima College's teachers are probably more pleased with the tutoring and training they gave to "BL", or should we say his ability to absorb and utilize the information provided, than the honored rest combined.

Even before I go on with this diatribe about the most important West Indies selection to the 2000 UK summer, let me say this, which is easily verifiable by the BBC. I KNEW, and stated such, BEFORE the team was actually selected, that Brian Lara would go on the tour. I also knew that he would somehow try to find a way to go on that tour on HIS own terms. You see, this actually has a precedent.

You remember, I hope, that tour of South Africa in 1998 when the team, led by Brian Lara and Carl Hooper, was supposed to be "quitting" and "boycotting" that tour for the perceived need for more reimbursement? Well, while the players were jetting from Bangladesh and South Africa to congregate in London, for discussions with the West Indies Cricket Board, I was actually leaving the Caribbean to go to South Africa to cover the tour for South African Broadcasting Corporation. Indeed, our airplanes probably passed enroute, at different flight levels. Then, like now, I also suggested that the tour will go on, for, without any emotion, I know now, and knew then, exactly whom we were/are dealing with.

My rationale then, as it is now, was/is basically the same. That inaugural South African Test tour was just too important for the West Indies cricket team not to turn up (perhaps it might have been better if they had not, given the eventual result), as is the fact that Brian Lara knows that England is where it is at for him. Simply, he knows that he has to turn up.

Nowhere would he want to stage a wonderful "recovery" from whatever ailments he now has than in the United Kingdom, as it was here, more or less, or against the English, that he made most of his name, fame and/or his infamy. He knows, as any great showman should, (remember Muhammad Ali? Notice 'Shaq'?) where "his" press is. Remember those three superlative centuries in 1995 in the last three Tests? Remember that memorable quote: "Cricket is ruining my life"? That all happened in England.

Lara is nobody's fool, believe me.

Also, I would even suggest that Brian Lara recognized a few things all at once. Indeed, he may have even miscalculated a bit. While both the Caribbean people and the outside world may have wanted his return quickly, or not, as the case might have been, at least the Caribbean people had something to cheer about, even with the absence of B. Lara, with the team coming from behind impressively to beat Zimbabwe, and more recently, being on par with the Pakistanis in that first Test. Hence, that stupid statement that is so often heard around the Caribbean, especially in T&T, that "the West Indies cannot win if Lara is not playing or if he does not make runs", has become a myth.

I will also suggest that "BL" recognized that this team can only go upwards from its present position, after the doldrums of New Zealand. He simply had a choice; stay and burn, or at least provide some heat; or cut and run. Fortunately for him, and hopefully for us, he chose the former. Oh, by the way, this has nothing to do with money at all. Great professional sportsmen who make megabucks never worry about that. Fame in this case is more of a necessary motivator than ourds of bucks. I would even add that if Brian Lara missed this tour, under any circumstances, then more than anyone else, he probably knew that he probably would have had no more cricket career, as the team is doing okay without him and would eventually get better, even without him. It has happened before!!

Yet, I agree with Sir Vivian Richards' suggestion during the West Indies v Zimbabwe Test in Jamaica a few weeks ago. When it was suggested that perhaps Brian Lara should make himself available for the Pakistani Tests, after the obvious failure of the batsmen against Zimbabwe, Viv was adamant. According to him, "any team in the world should be grateful if someone of Brian Lara's cricketing prowess is available for selection." Absolutely true, that statement. However, I would temper Viv's comment with another: That player, whomsoever he is, should also want to play and give 100% at all times, co-operating at all times, and not want the rest of the team to play whatever games he has in mind!!

I would also suggest that the West Indies selectors do not make the asinine mistake of making Brian Lara the vice-captain of this team. They could have alleviated that situation by immediately naming the incumbent, Sherwin Campbell, to the position. Instead, those "Wise Men" or could we call them "(dead!) Blind Mice" in this case, and still be correct, suggest that "the vice captain will be selected at a later date." What the hell are they waiting for? Are they waiting for Brian Lara to say that he wants it? God forbid, even if he does, surely we cannot be that blind or stupid!!

In my mind, Brian Lara must be one thing only to this cricket team; a fully committed batsman who wants to make runs under any circumstances for his team, his people and his region. He certainly has that ability. Forget the crap about insularity. Forget the past even. If he could get himself sufficiently motivated to do that, then we should see at least three more centuries from him this year in England.

Maybe even in time, if and when we are all convinced that he is genuine this time (the umpteenth effort??), he could be considered again for captaincy. Please do not forget that Jimmy Adams is winning with the same team, except for Chris Gayle, which went to New Zealand and lost so badly under Brian Lara, so perhaps it was not the players, or lack thereof, that was the problem in the first place.

Indeed, it might even be better for us all if Lara is just a batsman and nothing else, for I surely believe, as I am sure that I am male, that if he goes back into that team, with the new management as set on changing things to become as professional as ever, then, cricket-god or not, Lara would be quickly kicked out if he even thinks of trying to undermine the present management team as he is supposed to have done in 1995. These guys, Roger Harper, Ricky Skerritt, Jeff Dujon and Jimmy Adams, as much as they may respect Brian Lara's ability, and even the man himself, will not stick garbage, and rightly so.

Most great sportsmen put pressure on themselves, from some quarter, to perform. By "accepting" to be on this tour, "BL" has probably grown up, despite some severe external situations. Life, though, must go on despite these adverse stimuli. Of course, if he sees or thinks that he cannot "cut the mustard", for whatever reason, he actually does have an "out", in a sense. If you do not believe me, check the transcript of Mike Findlay's explanation for the confusion of Lara's non-selection/re-selection/selection, and read between the lines.

Yes, folks, Brian Charles Lara is a very smart lad indeed!!