Who's the Real Brian Lara? (Part 1)
(Cricinfo Magazine)
As I stand tapping my feet impatiently on the hardwood floor it's difficult to resist the temptation to peer inside the door, which has been left ajar though the occupant is downstairs having breakfast. What meets the eye is a bit of clutter, a scene that any man ever upbraided for similar transgressions can have a quiet smile about. When Brian Lara finally makes his way down the long corridor he immediately apologises for the mess and asks me to wait a minute while he sorts it out. Yet when I enter there's no noticeable difference, except for some additional space on the couch opposite the low chaise on which he proceeds to lounge in a light blue t-shirt, beige shorts, and a battered olive cap. The frayed edges on its peak shade those piercing eyes. I immediately think of him as someone either remarkably comfortable in his own skin, or as Peter Pan, the boy who never wanted to grow old. Maybe both.
One of the first things you're taught as a cub journalist is to lead into interviews, to soften the subject with easy questions before slipping in the odd grenade. But Lara radiates such confidence and poise that I decide to forego the exploratory jabs. His previous stint as captain had ended with the axe in March 2005, after a dispute with the West Indies board over sponsorship contracts. But when his successor Shivnarine Chanderpaul, reticent at the best of times, retreated further into his shell after a string of depressing defeats, the temptation to hand the reins back to the prodigal son became overwhelming.
For Lara, twice-bitten and understandably a little shy, it was a hard decision to make, but he signalled his willingness after listening to pleas from several team-mates ? most importantly Chanderpaul. "I remember it was a Saturday around lunch time. He told me that he was sorry that he had to give it up," says Lara. "He felt that the person to do it, and the person needed at the present time, with the World Cup coming up, was me. I thought it was very nice of him to do that."
"The likes of Clive Lloyd and Deryck Murray also asked me. At my age one of the things I can give back immediately is some sort of leadership, especially at a time when there's a bit of uncertainty in our cricket. It was a tough decision but the right one."
Though he chooses his words carefully you can see that the sense of hurt at the sacking lingers. "I think it's unfortunate that somebody loses the leadership position for supporting his players," he says, leaning forward a little to make his point. "That's such a big part of leadership. But then again it's a decision for the West Indies Cricket Board to make. My thing is to play cricket, about going out there and giving my best to ensure that West Indies cricket is successful. It doesn't matter who leads at what time."
Despite the vast catalogue of achievement Lara still polarises opinion, even in the Caribbean, where some of his fiercest critics are legends of the past. The largely dismal results in recent times have given the doubters plenty of ammunition, but having charted his way through more choppy waters before, Lara talks of the lean present with the resignation of a man who has known more prosperous times.
"It makes it difficult, but it's reality," he says when asked about the challenges of leading a side that loses more than it wins. "I have to be in there to see if I can make a difference. It doesn't matter how difficult the job or situation is. At the end of it, maybe not before I'm finished, West Indies cricket has to turn around. It's a natural cycle."
'I WOULD GIVE UP MY RECORDS...'
The accusations of selfishness and aloofness frequently directed at him are at odds with the longing in his voice as he imagines being part of a better team, one fit to compare with the all-conquering sides of the 1970s and eighties. "It does hurt your pride," he says. "I'd give anything, any of my records, just to be part of a team that's ranked in the top two or three in the world. That's what it's all about. It's a team sport and you can't go out there and bat without someone at the other end. You can't bowl and not depend on your fielders.
"I'd have loved to have experienced a better ride during my career, but to each his own. West Indies had a very successful period in the late seventies, eighties and early nineties but that came to an end and now we have to go through this rough period. For me to be part of it still means that I'?m part of history. Just the fact that I've played for West Indies for so long is, to me, a lifelong dream come true."
When his phone starts ringing from another part of the suite, Lara doesn't even stir. His body language relaxes when he talks of the challenges of leading an inexperienced side, and his voice resonates as he speaks about the victory over Australia in the DLF Cup the previous evening. His own contribution was a scintillating 87, and though his old rival Glenn McGrath was missing thanks to a rotation policy, Lara preferred to accentuate the positive.
"You always try to play the best combination. We don'?t have the luxury of being the best team in the world and having a reserve of 10 or 12 players that can make any other country?s team, like Australia. We had it in the seventies and eighties with players who weren?t playing international cricket for us, but could have walked into any other team."
CAPTAINCY STYLE
The relative lack of resources has served to bring out the innovator in him, with slow-medium bowlers like Wavell Hinds and Dwayne Smith often given the new ball in conditions where Lara and Bennett King, the coach, prefer to pack the side with batsmen. "I'm willing to go out on a limb to try and achieve success," Lara says. "In doing so sometimes you're criticised because you've moved away from the conventional. My style is definitely not conventional.
"You can't be insane ? you need a very good mix of tactics and instinct to come up with success. If you have a team you can depend on, full of professionals on a great winning streak, you can stick to the basics, the things that have made you win before. But if you're not winning, you have to try different scenarios."
The disdain that has come his way when the gambits have failed would have shaken lesser men, but Lara is almost philosophical when you ask whether he's ever wary of appearing foolish. "I'm immune to criticism. I've felt that throughout my career. Sometimes, as you said, it might look silly, but on occasions it will be successful and change the whole game.
"I like taking chances. If you're playing against one of the minnows, a Zimbabwe or a Bangladesh, and you know that a set pattern is going to bring about success, you're not going to take any risks. It depends on the position of the match too. You manoeuvre accordingly."
Captaining the West Indies, an entity that exists mainly only for the purpose of playing cricket, has always been one of the most arduous tasks in the game, though some would argue that Clive Lloyd had it pretty easy with stellar batsmen and a fearsome pace quartet at his disposal. For Lara, whose years at the helm included a 0-5 drubbing in South Africa ? the most traumatic loss in West Indian cricket history ? the job has involved more than just totting up wins and losses.
"It's a very difficult job because we all come from different backgrounds," he says. "The politics is different, even the food is different. It's a very tough job to bring this group of players together from different islands and cultures.
"There's a great friendship within the team and that's very important. Sometimes you sense that the guys from the smaller islands are a bit more reserved in their actions. This is something that we have to try as much as possible to eliminate. I think it'?s the key thing. You don't want anybody ostracised and you don't want anybody aloof and feeling not part of the group."
At times the frustration of presiding over a becalmed ship has got the better of him. On India's recent tour of the Caribbean there were a couple of uncharacteristic outbursts, and he was clearly a miffed man at the end of a Test series that was lost in the space of three chaotic days at Sabina Park, once a West Indian fortress. "It was tough, but we've sorted that out," he says, clearly not keen to give much away. "I've spoken to the cricket board. They were a bit upset too and we thrashed that out."
When you stay silent, he pauses for a moment before expanding on the theme. "I just feel that interaction and communication are the most important things. You have to understand... when a team like India comes over, not having beaten West Indies [for 35 years] and not having played very good Test cricket away from home, you'd want to keep it that way.
INDISCIPLINE AND WICB ADMINISTRATION
"It's not necessarily black and white, but you've just got to be honest. Be as committed and as open as possible, especially when dealing with a public matter. West Indies cricket belongs to the people; it doesn't belong to Brian Lara or a selector or an administrator."
Those people, who celebrated so joyously when a team led by Lara won the Champions Trophy against all odds in 2004, have had to endure some soul-destroying losses in recent times. After one such defeat against England in 2004, a few players were observed having a bit of fun in the stands, reinforcing the notion held by many former greats that several of the moderns aren?t fit to wear the hallowed maroon cap. Lara, though, bristles at the suggestion that he leads a crew that couldn't care less.
"There are different types of indiscipline. Are you talking about the controversial kind?" he asks, an edge to his voice. "It can stem not just from the players, it can stem from deep-rooted problems in the administration. I don?t think you?d see an indisciplined team if you have a disciplined board. If you have a disciplined board, they would know exactly what they want from their players. You need to see the whole spiral, where it starts from."
Though some of the players have earned a bad rap for their off-field antics, there's no doubt that West Indies cricket has thrown up some exciting talent over the last few seasons. When you ask Lara how much it means to guide some of these young men, his enthusiasm is entwined with caution.
"I'm excited but still skeptical about what the more prominent people in West Indies cricket are going to do to harness their talent," he says. "We still produce some very talented players. You look at Dwayne Bravo or Dwayne Smith, Carlton Baugh, [Denesh] Ramdin... these guys are very talented but need support to get to another level. In the past I've seen players who looked very ordinary compared to our teenagers, and you look at them four or five years down the line, and they're much better players. I think it's left to the support group to ensure that the natural talent you see is taken to the competitive level of international cricket ? for that you need mental strength, fitness, and enhancement of the technical side as well."
Right through the tournament in Malaysia, as a young middle order struggled to put bat to ball, Lara was steadfast in his support, and his belief that things would come right. Surely, though, he has had to crack down hard at times?
"You have to be careful when you use that word [hard]," he says. "Some of them are very young and still learning the game. Guys like Chris Gayle, [Ramnaresh] Sarwan, [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul, and Wavell Hinds have been around a long time, and they should understand their responsibilities to the team. Those are the guys you can be tougher on. Chanderpaul has 12 years, Sarwan has six. It's time they run their show for the benefit of the team.
"But with the younger ones you have to massage what you're going to tell them. You have to understand the emotional side. As I said, we're all from different cultures and backgrounds. You need to understand how to get a point across, whether it's in a strong way or by putting an arm around their shoulders."
In that regard the presence of King, from Queensland, has helped. "The fact that there is an outsider or a group of people bringing in certain levels of discipline without being part of the culture, or being emotionally involved with players, is unique in itself, and has a lot of positives to it," Lara says.