THE WEST Indies team is in England for a four-Test series and the expectations are not very high.

Without a class act like Brian Charles Lara, anything apart from a whitewash will be a victory for the Caribbean men. Many so-called cricket experts were glad to see the back of Lara, the man who is in my mind, the greatest batsman, behind only Australian Don Bradman, to walk the earth. Yes, some argue Lara was an indisciplined player. Some former teammates accused him of not being a team player, but what exactly do they mean by "team player", and until they say exactly what he did or didn't do, I will not waste my time listening to them.

Asked for reserve

It was this same Lara a few years back while playing for Trinidad who asked for the reserve players to train with the squad. The request was turned down by the board because of lack of funding. A generous Lara then advised the team manager at the time to take TT$3,000 of his TT$3,500 payment and divide it among the three players so they could train. It was also the same Lara who stood up for several players in the past, recently on the 2005 tour to Sri Lanka. Additionally, in a Test career which started against Pakistan in December 1990 and ended against the same team - also away in December 2006, the Prince of Port of Spain brought several great moments to the game during a dull period of West Indies cricket.

During this time, the 'King', as I called him, played 131 matches, 10 more than Sir Viv Richards, who many consider the best West Indies batsman, and departed the stage with a record 11,953 runs.

Richards could only manage 8,540 from 121 matches at 50.21, which includes 24 centuries.

LARA

Lara scored 34 Test centuries and 48 fifties to end with an average of 52.88. His highest score was an unbelievable record-breaking 400 not out against England, erasing Australian Matthew Hayden's 380. Lara held the previous record of 375 when he surpassed Sir Garfield Sobers 365 not out against England in 1994.

His records are numerous. He held the highest individual Test score twice - 375 (April 1994) and 400 not out (April 2004).

Also in 1994, he became the first and only batsman to score 501 in a first-class match and 385 of those runs came in one day. Apart from representing the West Indies, the man who also represented the ICC World XI, Northern Transval, Trinidad & Tobago and Warwickshire, scored seven double centuries - 227 against Australia (Jan. 1993); 213 against Australia (Mar. 1999); 221 against Sri Lanka (Nov. 2001); 209 against Sri Lanka (Jun. 2003); 202 against South Africa (Dec. 2003); 226 against Australia (Nov. 2005) and 216 against Pakistan (Nov. 2006).

According to Cricinfo stats, Lara learned his game at the Harvard Coaching Clinic where he was enrolled at the age of six, an at school he played for Trinidad's junior football and table tennis sides, it was cricket which really drew him.

At 14, he made 745 runs at 126.16, earning him selection for the Trinidad Under-16 team. A year later he was in the West Indies Under-19 side. In 1990, aged 20, Lara became Trinidad and Tobago's youngest captain, leading them to victory in the Geddes Grant Shield. In that year he made his Test debut, scoring 44 and six against Pakistan. Now without a Lara, while some are happy and expect better results for the West Indies, there are some who say it's going to take at least another 10 years to replace the greatest West Indian batsman. I don't agree with either point of view because I don't think he can be replaced. So what can we expect in England without a class act such as Lara? Nothing, if you may ask me.

Imposed curfew

First of all, the talk of indiscipline now turns to Chris Gayle and he is the first to utter some disturbing comments, hitting out at a curfew manager Mike Findlay imposed on the team. "If it was in my hands, I would have let guys be more free and do what they want to do in the lead-up to the first Test match," he said while adding, "I'm just speaking for myself, that's my point of view."

Gayle, who has not scored a century in more than a year, should be focusing on the task ahead, not curfews.

Please Chris, make some runs and in the process, remind your friends, Shiv, Sarwan, both former captains, and the rookies that 'King' Lara scored 375 and 400 not out against England and it was in the same country he scored 501 not out for Warwickshire in a County match.

Long live the 'King'.

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