What Will Changing the Captain Fix?

Many are talking around it. Crofty seems to want to apologize without saying it. And Holding? Well, true to form, he has changed his line somewhat. He is now stressing the need for fundamental changes in the structure of our cricket.

Let me start at the end in a sense. Let me say to those who see Lara's 400 not out as only an individual achievement, or even to the more far sighted who will admit that it lifted our spirits, but for only a short time: I agree without a shadow of a doubt it leaves untouched the real issues.

However, let me point us to an aspect of the significance of this innings that has been understated so far, and how in fact it ties into captaincy and, specifically, Lara's captaincy.

Croft recognizes the 400 as "amazing" but says it's merely what Lara was selected to do, to make runs. He says it has nothing to do with the quality of his captaincy and has no connection to bringing back the winning days. He therefore claims we no longer are interested in winning, only in hailing the greatest.

Well for those who do not realize it, this innings can turn out to be a decisive leadership tool.

Lara could hold a two-day seminar at least (and I hope he does) with his players talking about application, how to maximize concentration, how to avoid distractions, how to block out the crowd, how and when to attack and when to defend, how to read the bowlers, how to build an innings. In addition he could point out the importance of those little walks in between balls, how to regain focus after rain and water breaks, how to focus on each ball, realizing that whereas a bowler can bowl 500 bad balls, one bad stroke by a batsman can get him out.

The youngsters need to be reminded of those first fifteen minutes when you are most vulnerable at the crease, the importance of building partnerships, the need to go back to basics, textbook style when it is demanded, how not to bow to populism from the crowd and so much more that only he knows.

What about how to spend 13 hours at a crease? And, yes, how to get to an unbeaten 400 with a half-broken finger.

And much more than a seminar could be used.

I have no doubt that these are spoken about in team meetings over and over again but these young players would now have seen it possible live and in living colour. Remember, most of them would only have seen the 375 on television -- highlights mainly. Sarwan would have been about 13, Gayle 14.

Coming from the captain it would carry a thousand times more weight because he would have led by example. Next time he will not be asking them to do something that is in their view impossible, and he would not be asking them to do something that he has not done.

He will be asking them to apply all the above lessons and can say, "it can be done".

You want to tell me that this is not powerful coming from a captain and not just a player? You must be joking, big time.

You all think this is not what is an important element of leadership? It may not win the next series against England in the summer but even if three batsmen listen and apply even half of what he says it will certainly help more than changing the captaincy.

I would be very disappointed if Lara did not hold such a session or two. And by the way if we really want to maximize the benefits he could hold such a seminar with young cricketers throughout the Caribbean. That's how you maximise from a great innings. The English journalists are doing enough praising it with all the adjectives in the Oxford Dictionary. Let us use it in a practical way.

Furthermore, it was an inspiration to the team. Too late Mr. Croft says? Watch the one dayers.

So I think we can now put this captaincy issue to rest as we look at the bigger picture. I have no doubt that Lara has faults in his leadership and I have no doubt that he has tremendous, if not unique strengths, too. And I have no doubt, as Holding asserts, that some players may have problems with his leadership style.

Are they insurmountable? If the problems are fundamental how can the solution be so simple as to change the captain? Is changing the captain going to give us the better bowlers that we needed in South Africa? Is changing the captain going to improve the technical batting flaws we saw in the England series? Is changing the captain going to structure the cricket in such a way that we have relatively fit players, that we have even one spinner, that we have a growing pool of cricketers that are being constantly replenished? If so change him then.

Is changing the captain the decisive action that will lay the basis for improvement in West Indies cricket? We can even go further and ask what percentage of improvement will come from this change. Furthermore, if it is the decisive factor, then why has the change from Walsh to Lara to Adams to Hooper back to Lara not helped fundamentally?

I suspect it is this realization that made Holding begin to change his position and Croft try to apologize without knowing how to.

My call to the present captain is to do the following things:

• Find some way to advocate the changes that he must see are needed in the whole structure of the cricket. By this I mean changes that will bring players to the table who are more experienced, who have more cricket under their belts. In SA he spoke about the need for retainer contracts as a matter of urgency. He must realize by now that the absence of these changes is bringing the criticism down on him.

• Follow through on his call for the genuine ex-players to help. He could probably set up a mentorship program between each young player and the ex-player he respects. Some may have an individual in mind.

• Insist that the WICB give him all the technological tools, plus time to be fully prepared for all series, even Bangladesh.

• Fulfill his promise that despite the winding road and despite the unfair criticisms he will mould the best of this team into a competitive unit.