Sarwan to lead Windies

Bridgetown, Barbados: In the end the 'king' got what he wanted: the right man as West Indies captain.

Speaking to the media, while announcing his World XI of cricketers, a day before the World Cup final Sir Vivian Richards had thrown his hat in the ring for Ramnaresh Sarwan as captain of the West Indies team.

Yesterday, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced that they had chosen Sarwan to lead the team.

The post of captain was vacated after Brian Lara announced his retirement from cricket.

Another contender was Daren Ganga, from Lara's native Trinidad & Tobago, but Richards felt that the new captain should not be from the same island as Lara in a veiled reference that the West Indian selectors should now look at other options and not fall prey to petty politics. Sarwan is from Guyana.

Speaking about Sarwan at a press conference Richards said, "Captains in my opinion demand respect and if you can get that respect... you only have to look at when I was on tour with them and he (Sarwan) had his opportunities to be captain, just seeing the way in which the other players stuck to him... these are things which selectors must look at."

Richards should know having been one the West Indies' most successful captains and a former chairman of selectors.

"It was almost like bees hovering around a honeycomb," he added. "All the players felt comfortable around Sarwan.

"They hung out in his room and this is how I would like my captain to operate.

"There is no point in having someone who is on cloud nine while his players are at a press conference."

Necessary equipment

"And because one can have that sort of interaction with his players and have the other comfortable influences that is needed for a successful team and for you to feel comfortable doing so, I think Sarwan has the necessary equipment."

While acknowledging that Ganga also had the pre-requisites of a fine captain he felt that choosing him would be a backward step.

"I felt that these two individuals would complement one another but I hope it's not the other way around: not Ganga over Sarwan because that to me would send a message because of maybe Brian Lara, who is not there at present, why should we have to jump over Sarwan's head to get someone else. I hope the captain does not come out of Trinidad & Tobago because that to me is a backward step.

"Let us rise above the petty politics."

Richard, a former chairman of selectors, was comfortable airing his views on the state of West Indies cricket.

When asked if he would like to have another shot as selector, he replied with tongue firmly in cheek, "I'd love to do it, but alone... I would not like to be answerable to anyone."

A silent message to those in power perhaps? "Yes," he replied with a smirk. "And I hope that they have heard it."

Another contender for the top post was Daren Ganga, from Lara's native Trinidad & Tobago