Do-or-Die effort needed from the West Indies

Strangely, almost surreally, the attitudes of the four most senior members of the present West Indian touring party are all very different as the last of these two Tests looms. The combination of their attitudes will have to push the West Indies team over the top so that they could win the second Test against New Zealand. A draw is not even an option. This team will win, or lose, by a tremendous effort!!

Brian Lara, perhaps the man who would be held most responsible for the fates of the next five days of Test cricket, has already made peace with himself, and hopefully, with his team.

"I know that we played very bad cricket in the last four days of the first Test, after such a great start on the 1st day." He added; "I will have to hold myself greatly responsible for some of our bad batting. I can tell you that I will be going out there to do my best this time, regardless. We will fight all the way to the end, since I know how much the team is hurting. After South Africa last year, I do not even have to hear it from the Caribbean. I already know how they, the people back there, feel. I can tell you that it is not a good feeling."

If being in sound body brings about being in sound mind, then Lara is definitely leading by example. His batting in the practice sessions leading up to the second Test have been very different from his efforts before and during the first Test. He has seldom hit the ball in the air during these recent practice sessions, and could only be called "correct" in his strokeplay in the nets in Wellington.

It is very obvious that Lara knows that not only must runs come from him, but if they do, in plentiful numbers, then his leadership will also take a direct upward bounce. No captain in the world can ask his players, in any game, in any discipline, to do well if he cannot contribute as expected. Very soon the respect is lost, regardless of the original positive attitude towards the captain from the team. Steve Waugh led by example in a recent Australian Test outing, as he did during the World Cup. Captaincy is setting the example, high standards, for others to follow.

Lara knows that he has been at the end of a tremendous drubbing, internationally, on tour, since taking over the captaincy from Courtney Walsh. He is so concerned in giving the exact proper leadership to his team that he even leads in the warm-ups and flexing exercises for this Test. He knows that a sound body, a fit body, normally gets a fit mind to follow. Lara's step runs and overall positive attitude over the last few days suggest that he is embarrassed enough to want to change the team's fates for the new Millenium. What a real tonic that would be to the players and supporters alike if the West Indies were to win this second Test.

Vivian Richards, the team's coach, is even more openly combative, not unlike the batsman we used to witness when he prepared to face the likes of Dennis Lillee of Australia. Having played with Viv at the height of the West Indies, and his success, I would suggest that he is now "down to fighting weight", at least in thought, word and effort, if indeed not in body. I daresay that if it were possible, Viv would probably have strolled out unto the beautifully manicured Wellington Cricket Club's turf on Sunday, dressed in all-white, ready for a battle to the death. Mike Tyson or Evander Holyfield has nothing on Viv. These days, once again, Viv is more like his namesake, "Smoking Joe" Joe Frazier, the former world heavyweight champion.

Says Viv: "I am trying to pass unto these guys, drive it into them even, in any way possible, the things that made us winners, great winners, in the past. Most coaches take their cue from perhaps the MCC manuals to coach. I take a very different view of that. The MCC manuals are there, but England, who should benefit most, wins nothing. The West Indies won in the 70's, 80, and even in the 90's because we played cricket by our own hands, not someone else's plan. We had no coaches then, but won anyway. We must believe in ourselves, alone. No one else can help us. I am trying diligently, in the exceedingly short time we have, to bring these guys to the realization that the only people who could decide our fate is ourselves."

With about eight and a half thousand Test runs, and having been the only West Indian captain not to have lost a Test series in his tenure as captain, which lasted about six years, Viv is uniquely qualified to utter such statements. How psychologically ready are the present West Indian players to understand and accept these thoughts is anyone's guess.

Courtney Walsh, the enduring fast bowler, is openly unselfish. "I could not care less if I get to that record (435 Test wickets to break Kapil Dev's standing record for Test wickets), or not. My aim in this Test match here at Wellington is simply to do all that I can do to win the Test. If it so happens that I can get the wickets too, then that is great. If not, the priority is definitely to get the Test won. We need this win badly, for our pride and our future. We are much better cricketers than we showed in the1st Test. I am tired of being embarrassed. We must win this game. It is as simple as that"

Manager Clive Lloyd, something of a "lame duck" manager, not unlike US President Bill Clinton, since he is only here in New Zealand, temporarily in the extended position, until another manager could be identified, is much more philosophical. "We can only tell these guys what we expect from them. They still have to have the tools, the pride and more particularly, the confidence, to go out there and win this game for the West Indies and for themselves. There is no turning back now. We played very badly in parts of that 1st Test and paid dearly for it. It is now up to us to change that around in the next few days."

Somehow, there is a great sadness in the West Indies team manager. Somehow, one could sense that Lloyd is severely disappointed that he and the rest involved in The Management of the West Indies team could not bring about a greater understanding of the past winning ways, and the importance of winning, and the realization of those wins, to his charges.

Those charges, the players, though, seem to have understood the last embarrassment well. Merv Dillon, who must play in the second Test, steamed in from his longest run to date at all of the practice sessions. He is bowling quickly. He does not need to impress anyone anymore. If Dillon does not play in this Test, after the showing from Franklyn Rose in the first Test, then someone is mad. I thought they were mad then, to leave him out. I was not wrong!!

Pedro Collins, the left handed pace bowler from Barbados, also has a chance of playing in this Test. Forecast conditions call for much moisture on the first two days of the Test, so the West Indian selectors may just go with four fast bowlers in Walsh, Dillon, Reon King and Collins. That could mean a sacrifice of Dininath Ramnarine, the successful leg-spinner, but it may be necessary, for all out attack.

Unfortunately, neither Darren Ganga nor Wavell Hinds could fit anywhere in the present batting line-up, so I am sure that the batting line up for the second Test would be the same as the last. The only difference in the batsmen must be their boosted psychological attitude. Bat to the death!!. Lara will have to lead from the front here.

The West Indies are "behind the 8th ball". How they get out from that position would take great character and tremendous effort from every player, on and off of the field. Even the team's officials will have to play an even more meaningful part over the next five days. One thing is sure. Given good weather and a total effort, the series will either end 2-0 or 1-1. Neither of these teams is good enough to draw a Test game. Neither will want to do so!!