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From the Archives: Lara’s late cover drive

by Barbados Today
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From this month, this column will occasionally highlight stories of key moments in West Indies cricket since 2000.

Dubbed “From the Archives”, it starts with an amazing U-turn by former captain and ace batsman Brian Lara, ahead of the tour to England in 2000, which featured five Test matches.

Whether or not his sudden, sensational change of mind had a sense of occasion attached to it with Mother’s Day in the air, Brian Lara’s decision to “ambush” the West Indies selectors on a late night and place his name in the 16-man squad for the June to September tour to England was a very serious issue.

Having taken a self-imposed break from international cricket after giving up the captaincy in late February, Lara had indicated a few weeks before the Mike Findlay-chaired selection committee met that he wanted to return to the game for the tour to the “Mother Country”.

But as late as May 9 when the selectors were mandated by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to pick 16 players for the tour against their wishes and deadline, Findlay was desperately trying with the help of WICB secretary Andrew Sealy to track down the 31-year-old Trinidadian on his availability.

The selectors wanted 17 players and furthermore, were anxious to have a look at the fitness of Lara and the 22-year-old Barbados fast bowler Corey Collymore, who was recuperating from a back injury. That chance would have come in the West Indies ‘A’ team four-day match against Pakistan at Kensington Oval prior to the second Test, which started May 18. Be that as it may, the selectors had to do their job and Lara, in particular, was vital to their cause.

“I am trying to contact Lara today,” Findlay said on the day the team was selected.

“I have asked the West Indies Board for a report on Brian’s situation following the announcement that he was having professional help. We want to establish that in his own mind, Brian Lara is confident that he is ready to return to competitive cricket at this level.

“In this regard, I have sought an official report from the Board and I am also attempting to get in touch with Brian to discuss the matter. Getting in touch with him is crucial to the selection of the team.”

Findlay was speaking before 8 o’ clock from a hotel room in Georgetown, Guyana as rain was again sweeping across the capital city for the second straight day, thus ensuring there would be no crucial need to focus on the first Cable & Wireless Test match against Pakistan at Bourda. It had already been condemned to a draw by the previous day barring some miraculous turnaround.

By nightfall, there were whispers in Georgetown that Lara was sending confusing signals. Findlay was unsuccessful in speaking with him but Sealy had established contact from the WICB’s office in Antigua.

It was said that Lara first indicated he was retiring from cricket, then changed his mind and told the WICB he was unavailable for the England tour and would review his position at the end of it.

According to well-placed sources, Lara forwarded just a couple lines. So when Findlay, Joey Carew, Joel Garner, coach Roger Harper and captain Jimmy Adams sat down to pick the squad just after 3 p.m., they knew what was on the table. They did their job and that was that. At least it was thought.

Before dawn on May 10, Findlay was heading to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to take a flight to Barbados where he was slated to announce the squad the following day. Adams, too, had left to return to his native Jamaica, Carew was due for an afternoon flight to his home in Trinidad, while Garner and Harper remained in Guyana for different reasons. No doubt as far as they were all concerned, their job was completed.

Now it was the turn of Findlay to let Sealy know who those 16 players were so that protocol could take its course. But as it turned out, Findlay found himself as busy as a bee on the telephone around mid-night on May 10 after receiving a call from a Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board official that Lara was available for the tour after all.

Suddenly we heard of an illness befalling Lara’s mother and with Mother’s Day around the corner, there must have been a need for even greater love, care and attention.

“Brian had visited his mother a few days before the selectors met in Guyana on Tuesday to pick the team and he thought she looked a little weaker and was very concerned about her health,” Findlay said at a Press conference on May 11. “I think that must have prompted his decision on the spur of the moment to make himself unavailable for the tour of England.

“I immediately contacted Brian. He explained the circumstances to me and gave me the assurance he was fully committed to the tour,” Findlay recalled.

“Brian told me he was prepared to get himself physically ready and to practise between now and the time of the tour, and he was fully committed once again to West Indies cricket.”

And this is what Lara had to say.

“As you are aware, the family circumstances which prompted my letter remain unchanged but I shall be putting in place adequate arrangements to handle this to the extent possible whilst I am on tour,” Lara’s letter said.

“I am looking forward to the tour of England and the Board can count on my full support in this regard.”

But several questions were raised including whether Lara’s inclusion in the team was agreed by all of the selectors.

It was also argued whether the WICB would be bold enough to apologise to the player (said to be Daren Ganga) who Lara replaced in the touring party even though they were likely to argue that no official announcement had yet been made.

Squad: Jimmy Adams (captain), Curtly Ambrose, Sherwin Campbell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Chris Gayle, Adrian Griffith, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Reon King, Brian Lara, Nixon McLean, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Franklyn Rose, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Courtney Walsh.

West Indies were beaten 3-1 in the Test series, thus surrendering the Wisden Trophy. It was the first time since 1969 that they had lost a Test series to England.

Lara played in all five matches, finishing with the second highest aggregate for West Indies (239) at an average of 26.55, behind Campbell with 270 (ave: 30.00).

And Lara scored the only century for West Indies – 112 in the second innings of the drawn third Test at Old Trafford in Manchester.

FOND MEMORIES OF THE GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER GORDON BROOKS

It was indeed a shock to learn of the death of the great photographer Gordon Brooks, by way of a WhatsApp message just after 5 o’ clock on Wednesday morning. He was 81.

For me, Gordon’s passing brings to five, the number of persons who have left us after playing vital roles in my journalism career, which has now spanned four decades. The others were Don Norville, Charles Harding, Tony Cozier and Harold Hoyte.

Norville was my first sports editor when the NATION newspaper went daily in 1981 (it was my first full year as a sports reporter); Harding was also a versatile editor at the newspaper (he was very sweet on the fortunes of the clannish St. Philip club, St. Catherine); Cozier, despite his busy regional and international travels, taught me from bright and early how to blend writing cricket stories and features with radio commentaries on the great game; and Hoyte was not only the editor-in-chief and, like Brooks, one of the founders of the NATION, but he also loved cricket immensely. I will never forget when Mr. Hoyte told me I should double-check, and again check, every statistical detail on the first story I wrote in compiling the averages of the leading players for the BCA First (now Elite) division Championship, for a publication on August 10, 1981, after the fourth series of matches.

Brooks, who served as a director of the NATION as well, always gripped me by the amazing cricket pictures he took at BCA First division and limited overs matches. We became closer when I got the opportunity to cover West Indies first-class and one-day matches, as well as Test and One-Day International matches in the region. He was arguably the Caribbean’s foremost cricket photographer.

In those early years, with a cool, calm, friendly disposition, his professionalism also impressed me. Unlike the modern era of the Internet and filing stories and pictures for a newspaper in a jiffy by way of fancy laptops, when on overseas assignments in Jamaica, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago or one of the Windward and Leeward Islands, Gordon would arrange for his photos to be transported on the airlines, namely BWIA and LIAT, to meet deadlines for publication in the NATION.

When the new style of bowlers and fielders celebrating the dismissal of a batsman by giving “High-Fives” became a feature, Gordon hardly missed a click. Cricketers, administrators and fans alike, locally, regionally and internationally, respected him highly as a gentleman and true professional.

Gordon also had a sense of humour. Once while visiting Antigua, he reminded me that I should be careful in using the expression “killing two birds with one stone” since the Birds, renowned as politicians, ruled Antigua, then referred to as Bird Land. He told me that if a police officer heard such words being uttered in public, an arrest was likely. Lol!

Another aspect, which intrigued me, was the time he spent relaxing by “sorting out” Crosswords.

We not only became friends and workmates through cricket but also his presence at the popular Enterprise Beach, commonly known as “Miami” in the southern parish of Christ Church, where he kept fit for donkey years by walking the long stretch at the eastern side and swimming.

Gordon was also the photographer for my wedding to Dianne in 1990 (August 23). And when Dianne died seven years ago (July 23), Gordon, at my request, sent me another set of photos of the wedding – this time by email – for publication in the brochure for the funeral. Sad as it was then, like now, I shall always remember him for his kind, humble, warm personality and tremendous professionalism.

To his wife, Ira, three children, Enrico, Randy (who has walked in his father’s footsteps and is now also a top international cricket photographer) and Dr. Makeeba Brooks, family and friends, I express deepest condolences. Rest in peace, Gordon.

Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for four decades and is responsible for editing the BCA website (www.bcacricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com

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