G Wattley: Lara's silence still unbroken (1 Aug 1998)

1 August 1998

Lara's silence still unbroken

By Garth Wattley

JULY 31 has come and gone. But the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board still has not had word from current national captain Brian Lara.

The Board had written to the T&T skipper seeking a firm commitment on his availability as skipper of the national team for the Red Stripe Bowl One-day tournament in October.

Asked whether he was disappointed that Lara had not yet responded to his board's request, TTCB president Alloy Lequay was guarded.

"I will still give him a day or two," he told the Express yesterday. But while the board wait in expectation, a potential replacement is waiting in the wings-Phil Simmons.

"He has said he is available to captain the team if Brian is not," Lequay disclosed.

Simmons, who took T&T to the one-off Red Stripe Cup final in 1996, was also vice-captain of the team that finished joint fourth with Barbados this year in the President's Cup.

It was Lara's opting out of two of the three matches in that series in addition to the special manager's report submitted by Bryan Davis that prompted the TTCB's decision to put the captain on the spot.

However, Lara, whose troubled season captaining English county Warwickshire has been marred by loss of personal form and all chance at winning any domestic trophy, still has some time to declare his T&T intentions.

"We have to wait on the selectors to nominate a captain," said Lequay. "I don't think they will do that for another week or so."

In fact, the national selectors will not name their squad until August 30 for the tournament that will begin on October 3.

And Lequay does not see them being able to nominate the incumbent without communication from him.

"I would not like to approve a captain without knowing if he is available," he said.

In the meantime, the TTCB are keeping their ears open.

Source :: The Trinidad Express (https://www.trinidad.net/express/)