Becca: 'It's Time to Drop Lara'

Veteran cricket columnist Tony Becca believes the time has come for the West Indies selectors to bite the bullet and drop champion batsman Brian Lara from the World Cup squad.

"In the interest of West Indies cricket, he (Lara) should be out," Becca wrote in Friday's Jamaica Gleaner. "There comes a time in the life of every man when he has to take a stand, and for the West Indies selectors, the time has come," Becca said, calling into question Lara's commitment to playing for the regional side.

When the selectors -- Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Joey Carew -- meet to pick the World Cup side on December 28, Becca insists Lara's name should be left off the list because, technically, he is not even eligible for selection.

"As a batsman, Lara, certainly when he is fit and ready, is one of the best if not the best batsman in the world, and there is no question that in the West Indies' bid to win the World Cup he would be an asset to the team," Becca said.

"Cricket, however, is a team game, no one is bigger than the game, and as brilliant as he has been, as great as he is, Lara is not indispensable. On top of that, he has shown little respect, not only for the game but for its administrators and for the people of the West Indies," he added.

The Jamaican writer said no one with any respect for the game would treat it as Lara had done as far as preparing himself is concerned. "Rremembering his history and, according to the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control, Lara's response, his arrogance, to the query re his participation in the country's recent preparation for the regional tournament, no one with respect for its administrators would treat them as he has done; and in a region where cricket means so much to the people, no one with respect for the people would treat West Indies cricket as he has done," Becca argued.

He criticised the double world record holder for not making himself available for the Trinidadian team, arguing that he had disqualified himself from the World Cup team.

"There are other reasons, however, why Lara should not be selected, and although it was due to injury, they include the fact that he has been out of action for some time, that he has not been training and practicing, and that no one knows if he is fit enough, physically and mentally, to represent the West Indies or if he is in good form."

"Barring injury, illness or something else that is beyond the control of a player, selection to the West Indies team should follow selection to territorial teams, and if that is so, by not making himself available for Trinidad and Tobago, Lara has disqualified himself from the West Indies team for the World Cup," Becca said.

In times past, Becca said the selectors have failed to act despite grumbling about Lara's attitude and its affect on the team. "Hopefully, this set of selectors will stand up and be counted and say to Lara, enough is enough - win, lose or draw."