An open letter to the West Indies skipper
By Pryor Jonas
Stabroek News
May 17, 2003
This is an open letter to you who have proved yourself a Caribbean man. I’ve written you once before when you were in South Africa. But unlike your countryman Learie Constantine, you did not reply. Constantine was never honoured with West Indies’ captaincy. Nor was George Headley when he should have been.
The powers-that-were then, preferred another Trinidadian — Rolph Grant of Cambridge University — more famous for his soccer blue than for his cricketing talents.
Two numbers will always make us here in the Caribbean feel especially good: 375, 501. The first is still the highest Test score; the second is still the highest first class cricket score.
Let me emblazon them with more gold. Your 375 was chanceless; all the other world record holders before you - Sobers, Hutton, Hammond, Bradman and Foster - gave chances in their respective mammoth scores. And your 501, though not unblemished, was unbeaten.
At home in Karachi, Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad was run out attempting what would have been his 500th run. Away from home in Birmingham, you hit a boundary to clear the 500 mark. To pull off these two feats in the space of just seven weeks is little short of magical.
No self-respecting writer of fiction would risk giving his hero two such achievements for fear of making him utterly incredible. Yet—your predecessor Carl Hooper apart—no West Indies cricketer in recent times has been more maligned than you.
The miracle is that cricket has not already ruined both your lives. Rather, the infamy that our own people heaped on you both has somehow steeled you to try even harder which must redound to both your characters.
Here is an instance of what I mean: “There are two dissonant chords in the Lara affair which regardless of all that is said and done, must be dealt with to the satisfaction of West Indian fans.
The quick recovery of West Indian cricket from the morass it finds itself in may depend upon it.
First, whether or not one is an ardent fan of his, what Brian Lara did in jettisoning his obvious responsibilities to West Indian cricket was unforgivable, disdainful and regrettable. It must also not go unpunished.”
I wouldn’t tell you the writer there, but here is a better pen: “We are short of role models at the moment. Brian Lara should be in that key position, but his stock needs rebuilding, especially after the problems before and during the embarrassing tour of South Africa and some subsequent poor results. Brian himself needs a strong leader and guidance.
You can see him crying out for help and if he is not going to get that, as a young and inexperienced captain leading what is becoming a young and inexperienced team, there is going to be absolute chaos and further trouble for the West Indies.
There is no doubting his ability; what he achieved against Australia put him back on a level with Sachin Tendulkar, currently the best batsman in the world. They were some of the greatest knocks I have seen. That was Viv Richards.
To me, though, you have always been a better batsman than Tendulkar. But what about captaincy? Captaincy, as you have seen already, is not easy.
This is an understatement.But now that you are back at the helm, please make amends. Like Worrell, like Lloyd, have no favourites, and we will be world champions again soon.
To the WI skipper -2
This is my second letter to you, Mr Lara, who have so proved yourself to me at any rate, since I have nicknamed you Singulara-as all young men know. For you are worthy: 375! 501!! In my first letter I disagreed with your Chairman, Sir Vivian Richards, and pointed out that you have always been a better batsman than Tendulkar. Sachin Tendulkar failed more than once as captain of India; you have failed as captain of the West Indies. My prayer is that you won’t fail us again. Hence this hurried letter in immediate response to the Barbados report, headed Lara: No. 3 for now. It is evident to me that you prefer the No. 4 position in the WI batting line up. I believe, and I think no less an authority than Frank Worrell has said, that the No. 4 position is regarded today as the focal point of a team’s batting. This is why, if ever I were to have my way, our first three batsmen would all be openers. The No. 4 is my star. Many who know the game better than I do will disagree, but to me you’re a better bat than either Worrell, Sobers or Richards. Whereas, however, they could bat anywhere from Nos. 1 to 5, your forte lies in the No. 4 position - in Test cricket or ODI’s. So I’m respectfully asking that you ponder anew over your: “It was nice to get the position again and hopefully I’ll continue there. We’re trying to work on inter-dependence...”
Readers of this column are well aware that for years now I’ve been plugging this batting line-up for the West Indies: Gayle, Garrick, Hinds, Lara, Chanderpaul, A.N. Other... Today, Leon Garrick, whom I have seen took catches a la Sobers, is not even emergency fieldsman. Instead, his own country has disciplined him-more than once. I don’t and cannot condone indiscipline. But you must ask some of your predecessors - to wit, Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Sir Vivian Richards - if there were any indiscretions on their part that warranted really stern disciplinary action. Just take some time and check your records. See the current holders of the Caribbean record for opening batsmen. Incidentally, check their order of going in. see how unfair we are still being to Garrick and Gayle. When South Africa visited us, we won only one Test match. Check and see who were our openers then. Mr Lara, Garrick also is singular in that he has played in only one Test match. Yes, one!
Nevertheless, I completely support the point you were bent on making. Interdependence. Shared responsibility. Every man jack pulling his weight. No favouritism whatsoever. “What’s important though,” you were reported to have said, “is not batting at No. 3, or Brian wearing the No. 3 tag. It’s performance. I’ve got to perform as well. I’ve got to go out there and do what a No. 3 batsman is supposed to do.” Bravo, I say, Sir, in all earnestness, but let it not be at No. 3, but No. 4. Let our batting order, especially for the Test matches, read Garrick, Gayle, Hinds, Lara, A.N. Other... (Today I would reluctantly replace Hinds with vice-skipper, Sarwan.) And see what will happen. I wager that we will beat South Africa, Sri Lanka - yes, and even Australia. For though it’s bowlers who get wickets, cricket, you certainly will agree, Mr Singulara - your must-is runs.
