Sarwan: My Time Will Come

Ramnaresh Sarwan is in no rush to take over the captaincy of the West Indies team.

Addressing the ongoing discussion about whether Brian Lara should relinquish the West Indies captaincy, Sarwan said: "When the time comes it will be right, I don't want to rush it. I feel Brian has tried to guide me along the right way and when the opportunity comes I hope I will put it to use."

The 24-year-old Sarwan, who assumed the vice-captaincy during last year's home series against Australia, insists Brian Lara has been given a raw deal and is being unfairly slammed for the team's poor showing.

"Of course, you have to feel for him, I don't think this would be easy for any captain. With the position West Indies cricket is in, it is not fair that the blame lands on him," Sarwan declared.

"It has a lot to do with past years, the structure of cricket in the Caribbean, preparation and so forth."

Sarwan maintains it would be an honour to captain the regional team but stressed it was important to not be rushed into the job. "Every young man in the Caribbean dreaming of becoming a cricketer wants to lead the West Indies team and it is no different for me. "I have tried to learn as much from Brian and other captains I have played under and observed."

"We don't know what decision will be made but whatever he does I am sure he will be happy and he will continue to be with West Indies cricket."

"There is no-one as great as him as a player and there is no team that would not want him in it, so he will continue to play for West Indies whether he is captain or not," Sarwan added.

"Losing is hard for people in the Caribbean to accept because it is something they have suffered for quite a long time. "But it is something we have accepted and hopefully we will get it sorted as soon as possible because it is not nice to play in a losing team all the time. It has been hurting us for quite a while," he said.

"I am not thinking about a whitewash, though. Really and truly I can't see it happening. I don't think we can continue like this. We need to play more as a team, in batting, bowling and fielding. If we can bring all three aspects together and concentrate for longer periods of time you will see a different side."

* Culled from newswire reports.