Criticisms of Lara's pending return not merited

Brian Lara makes his exit during 2007 CWC

Brian Lara’s decision to play in next April’s Indian Premier League (IPL) after four years away from competitive cricket has been criticised by two former West Indies players according to the Gleaner newspaper. Jeffery Dujon and Curtly Ambrose are concerned that the reputation of a man who dominated his opponents at the height of his career will be reduced to nothing if he participates in this newest and shortest version of the game.

Dujon has said: “If you finish at the top, there's only one way you can go after that if you come back...” 
while Ambrose advises Lara to “stay out”, suggesting that it would be hard to reproduce the standards he once achieved.

I can almost forgive these guys for implying that Lara’s reputation as one of the greatest batsmen, certainly in the modern era and possibly of all times, is so slight that it would be ripped to shreds if he fails in one season of the IPL. This is the man who overhauled Gary Sober’s 36 year Test batting record of 365 runs,by scoring 375, lost it, only to reclaim it with a mammoth 400 not out. And all in a 10 year span. This is the man who still holds the record for the most runs (501 not out) in an innings in First Class cricket. With nearly 12,000 runs and an average of almost 53 in 131 Tests, Lara is in an elite bracket of the game’s best. Surely these statistics will not evaporate come this time next year.

I can further forgive these stalwarts of West Indies cricket for missing the point that Lara’s so-called comeback cannot be described as a comeback in the strictest sense of the word on at least two points. First, the IPL is not the highest form of the game. It is essentially club cricket with cash to spare. It may attract the world’s best players, giving it international exposure and making it highly competitive, but it is significantly shorter – three hours each match, unlike the five-day Test match. Secondly, and this is laughable, he will not have the expectations of the entire Caribbean like an albatross around his neck. If, anything he will be in a more professional and efficient environment than he has been used to, which should help his performance.

The truth is Lara is less concerned about his reputation than these two. At age 40, he knows more than anyone else that his career is not suddenly about to take off. He would be aware of exactly how he wants to contribute. He has indicated that he wants to participate in a holistic way, much in the same way that his contemporaries – Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasuriya etc. – have done.

Normally, comments from past players who have had outstanding careers anchored in years of experience are treated like the Holy Grail. However, I would quickly discard these two as wayward. Of course, 40 is not the new 20, but not every bloke with a bat is Brian Lara. For his fans, Lara’s departure from the game was somewhat premature. I certainly cannot wait to see his bat coming down like King Arthur’s Excalibur once again.  

Brendan Nash: reject or resource?

This piece was written about two years ago when Brendan Nash was trying to get into the West Indies cricket team. Since his selection he has performed creditably and was made vice captain on the 2010 tour to Sri Lanka.

West Indies vice captain Brendan Nash

The Australian-born Jamaican cricketer Brendan Nash displayed Jimmy Adam’s like character on Saturday April 26, as he scored a patient 117 to help his team beat Trinidad and Tobago in the Carib Beer Challenge final at Sabina Park. This was his second century for the national team, having scored 102 against the same opposition earlier in the competition.

Okay, so why is this important? Well, it has nothing to do with ‘dual citizenship’ – or does it? Nash’s father Paul is Jamaican and represented the country at the Olympic and Commonwealth games in swimming in the 1960s. Also, while I doubt that the younger Nash had to sever ties with Australia, sources indicate that he applied for and got his Jamaican passport. Besides, the fact that he is performing and Jamaica is winning should put to rest any arguments about citizenship – certainly among locals. What has caused a regional debate though is whether this former Australian pro player should represent the West Indies in the upcoming tour against – guess who? The Aussies.

There is no doubt that he is eligible for selection, having represented one of the six regional teams from which the WI selectors choose players for the Test teams. Would he merit that selection? In the context of this season’s regional competition, he would. Nash amassed 422 runs at an average of 46.88, making him the leading Jamaican batsman and fifth overall. He scored two centuries and one half century – 91 not out against Guyana at home. He was also instrumental, albeit with the ball in Jamaica’s KFC cup triumph in Barbados last year.

So what is the problem? Well according to some of the blogs I have been reading, Brendan Nash is a white Australian reject who thinks he can enter West Indies cricket through the back door; at 30 he should be at the pinnacle of his international career and not looking to make his debut; it would be unfair for him to be given preference over a young West Indian batsman i.e. Ryan Hinds of Barbados. There is even talk of boycotting the second Test match against the Aussies in Barbados if the runt, as he was referred to by one blogger, gets the nod over Hinds.

Well I certainly do not underestimate the ‘Boycotting Bajans’. They did it in 1992 on that historic tour by South Africa to the West Indies, when the selectors left out Anderson Cummings at the Three Ws Oval in Bridgetown. Unfortunately, those who stayed away missed one of the more memorable Test matches of all times. The WI on the back of scintillating performances from Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh and a solid all-round debut performance from Jimmy Adams made a desperate comeback to win a game that is still enthusiastically talked about.

Fast forward 17 years and the hypocrisy and insularity still plague the game in the Caribbean. Instead of judging a player on performance and merit we criticise him for his colour and background. The fact is whether white, black or purple, Brendan Nash’s seven years of professional experience in Australia could prove invaluable to a WI setup that NEEDS it. And this thing about age is rubbish! Herbert Ironmonger debuted for Australia at age 46. Fourteen matches later when he retired, he had taken 74 wickets at 17.97 apiece.

In less than a month the mighty Australians will be here. The miracle that we need in order to beat them, could be the early arrival of one who has been amongst them. For God’s sake, let us really ‘Rally Roun Di West Indies’ now and forever more. 

           

Shillingford’s problems, cricket administrator’s 'suspect action'

It was a victory that can be described as a diamond in the rough of what West Indies cricket has become over the last 15 years. Brian Lara said it was the ‘greatest cricketing experience’ of his life. Fast-bowling great Colin Croft commented that ‘the Windies put a lot of pride back into West Indian hearts’. It seemed the West Indies had ‘turned the corner’ after scoring a record breaking 418 for seven to beat world champions Australia on the 5^th day of the final Test match in Antigua on May 10 2003. We lost the series but who cared? We avoided a whitewash and thumped the Aussies in the process.

 Fans at a cricket match at Sabina Park in Kingston during the 

2007 World Cup

However, around every West Indies corner there is a mishap. Shortly after the match there was the numbing news that Jermaine Lawson had been reported for throwing. This was deeply unsettling. Not only had Lawson’s first innings haul of seven for 78 set up the win, but that spine-tingling bowling spell had a touch of yesteryear and signalled a bright future. His pace and bounce had the Aussies hopping and skipping like Kangaroos. Lawson was later suspended by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He made a comeback after remedial work on his action but was called for throwing on a tour to Sri Lanka.

It is now 2010. The West Indies Cricket team has just returned from a creditable but rain hit tour of Sri Lanka where they did not lose a Test match; they did not win any either. Dominican spinner, Shane Shillingford was a standout in the first game where he took a career best four for 128. The 27-year-old was, however, reported for throwing in that match and now he has been suspended by the ICC.

Sad situation? Maybe. But the ineptitude of those in charge of West Indies cricket is mind-boggling. When the Jermaine Lawson issue emerged seven years ago, there was a lot of finger-pointing and shifting of blame. How could someone get to the highest form of the game with such a defect in his action not being detected? It turns out the kink had been spotted. Renowned West Indies cricket commentator, Tony Cozier had made the observation while watching Lawson in a youth game and alerted officials in Jamaica. Hardly anything happened. The lad was able to play youth cricket for Jamaica and the West Indies (Youth World Cup) and regional cricket for Jamaica before being shamed at the highest level.

Shillingford’s situation is not dissimilar. His suspect bowling action has been spoken about by cricket commentators in the Caribbean since he made his regional debut in 2000. Why, then does another young West Indian have to suffer the indignities of being called a ‘chucker’ or a ‘tosser’ while the vanguards of our cricket are left untouched?  

Shillingford’s profile on Cricinfo states, ‘having overcome the problems posed by a suspect action, he finally earned his maiden Test call...’ Well, he obviously did not overcome the problems. It would be very interesting to find out what kind of specialist work was done on his action; who were the persons involved and how long did the process take. For example, was there any kind of consultation with the ICC to see what was required for Shillingford to bowl within the rules of the game?

I know these questions are like threatening googlies to a hapless batsman, probably the likes of Courtney Walsh – the great man – despite which they will be left alone. Because this is how fans and well wishers of West Indies cricket have been treated by the cricketing ‘lords’ in the region in the past; left alone to work out what is happening to our lovely cricket.

Jermaine Lawson has wandered off into cricket nothingness, possibly taking our fast bowling hopes and dreams with him. Let us hope that Shane Shillingford does not suffer the same fate, for his and West Indies cricket sake. However, I cannot help but think that the administrators of the game in the region have let us down yet again.