Croft hails Hooper

Harper

BULAWAYO, CANA-Reuters:

FORMER West Indies fast bowler Colin Croft believes current captain Carl Hooper is having a huge influence on his young side on their tour of Zimbabwe as a cricketing "father figure."

Croft even compared Hooper's influence to that of Clive Lloyd, the man who captained the West Indies through their most successful period in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Croft, capped 27 times by the West Indies between 1977 and 1982, taking 125 wickets, was speaking the day after Hooper's side comprehensively defeated Zimbabwe in the first Test in Bulawayo by an innings and 176 runs.

It was their first Test victory away from home since defeating England at Edgbaston in June last year.

"I would give a lot of the credit for the performance to the captain," Croft told Reuters yesterday.

"I think Carl Hooper is trying to become what Clive Lloyd used to be - a father figure. A lot of the guys in the team, including myself, looked up to Lloyd because he was a generation ahead of us.

"Carl Hooper is a generation ahead of most of the guys in his team. Marlon Samuels was 14 years old when he saw Carl Hooper batting for the first time and he decided to model himself on him. He's now playing Test cricket with the same man," Croft said.

But Croft warned Hooper was carrying a heavy responsibility.

"I think that Hooper also has to understand the responsibilities he has with these young men. He has to keep his head at all times and be the father figure that the players want him to be," Croft said.

The former fast bowler said he had been struck by the work rate displayed by the West Indies squad.

"I've been very impressed with the level of discipline and the job that (coach) Roger Harper and (manager) Ricky Skerritt have done in keeping the guys in check. One of the guys who went home, Mervyn Dillon, even complained that they were working too damn hard.

"I've been to the nets with them and I've seen them work out and, yes, the discipline is definitely there," Croft said.

The West Indies' success came despite a lengthy injury list.

Their best batsman Brian Lara left the tour early with a long-term hamstring injury while fast bowlers Cameron Cuffy and Dillon both broke down in the one-day triangular tournament which preceded the Test series.

Leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine returned home last week with a torn muscle in his side.

"I was impressed because the West Indies most senior bowlers, Mervyn Dillon and Cameron Cuffy, were not with the team," Croft added.

"Reon King, Pedro Collins and Colin Stuart were all coming back from injury and they took on the responsibility superbly, especially in the second innings.

"What you must bear in mind though is that the West Indies and Zimbabwe are more or less on the same level. I think the real Test will come when these guys are exposed to a better team, like South Africa, Australia or Pakistan."

The second and final Test begins at the Harare Sports Club on Friday.

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