Lara urges West Indies to work harder (12 December 1998)

12 December 1998

Lara urges West Indies to work harder

AFP

PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Dec 12 (AFP) - Brian Lara urged his West Indian team to put in more effort following Saturday's 178-run defeat inside three days in the second Test against South Africa.

The Caribbean captain's post mortem of another match lost took over two hours.

"While we are 2-0 down it does not mean we are out of the series," Lara said when his team finally emerged to face the media. "It just means that we've got to fight harder to get one back, to get three back."

Lara said that while he was disappointed he had to praise frontline bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, who, he said, had probably performed better in Port Elizabeth than they had over the last five years.

"But the chaps have got to realise that they are all wearing the West Indian badge on their caps," he added.

"One doesn't mind if you are beaten by the better team and South Africa were the better team at this present time, but they are not taking five days to beat us," Lara said.

"They are taking two and a half days to beat us, so we are going to have to start looking at these things."

"We are going to have to start playing to win even in the provincials. This team can beat England 3-1 and there is no reason why they should not beat South Africa."

But, Lara said, the West Indies were not in a despondent state.

"If you are beaten by a better team, and we have been, then you can hold your head up high. We haven't given 100 percent."

"So we've had a very serious talk and there's no reason why we cannot beat South Africa or put up a proper fight."

South Africa on Saturday announced an unchanged squad of 12 for their third Test in Durban over Christmas.