England 2000 a test for Lara

Tony Becca

THE West Indies fly out of Antigua via Barbados for England today bubbling with confidence.

After their disastrous tour of New Zealand, the Windies picked off Zimbabwe, yesterday, at the end of a tough contest, they pipped Pakistan, and the look in their eyes suggest that they are ready for England.

While the victory over Zimbabwe was no big thing, the victory over a strong team like Pakistan was a wonderful achievement, and with Brian Lara back to strengthen the batting, the West Indies should definitely be ready for England.

The West Indies performances against Zimbabwe and Pakistan, however, were not due to the individual brilliance of any super star. It was the result of a team playing together, and Lara or no Lara, success in England will be dependent on the team's ability to once again parade the spirit of togetherness which was so obvious during both contests and the fighting spirit which pulled them out of tight situations

The West Indies, therefore, have to ensure that it will be business as usual, and as manager, as captain, as coach and as assistant coach, that will be the responsibility of Ricky Skerritt, James Adams, Roger Harper and Jeffrey Dujon.

With 14 of the 16 players appearing in the series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan and fitting in nicely, that should not be difficult. Their only concern should be the integration of the two newcomers - Lara and Corey Collymore.

As the two players who were not in the squad in recent months, Lara and Collymore are strangers to the new spirit of togetherness, how they fit in will be important, and while there is no concern over Collymore's ability to do so, there are those who believe that Lara could be a problem.

The fear, as expressed by a number of fans and some close to the leadership of West Indies cricket, is that Lara is a born individualist and will not conform, that he has been so accustomed to getting away with anything and everything that he will feel he does not have to conform, and that if he does not conform and gets away with it, it will destroy the spirit of the team.

Although the selectors and the management have no such fears, Lara's history suggests that he could be a liability. It is therefore up to him to prove that he has matured.

It will not be easy.

Apart from the pressure of living up to his reputation as the world's top batsman or one of the top two by scoring heavily, Lara, the former captain, will have to show that he can be led and is willing to be led.

On top of that, his every movement, on and off the field, will be fully scrutinised by those who will be looking to see how the Prince fits into a team which, following New Zealand, since his exit as captain, and during his absence, has been the toast of the region because of its new spirit.

Lara may well be in a no-win situation, however. If he gets too involved, especially on the field, he will be criticised; if he does not get involved, he will also be criticised.

England 2000 will be a test for Lara, and it will not be easy for him. Regardless of what he has done before, however, whether or not he deserves to be on his way to England, every West Indian who love West Indies cricket and who want to see the West Indies in the frame of mind to beat England should be hoping and praying that he will pass with flying colours.

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