saturday, September 21, 2013
guyanatimesGY.com
21
Lara says If not a cricketer, an Architect – Miller WI have a K formidable group
Brian Lara makes a point during interview
P
ort of Spain, Trinidad Cricketing great Brian Lara is cautious about the state of West Indies cricket, even though the regional team has risen to fifth on the current ICC Test cricket rankings. In an interview after a function, on September 10, at the Queen’s Park Oval Ballroom in St Clair, Lara said, “that is a hard judgement call to make. It’s the longer version of the game. Yes we’ve had success, maybe against some of the lesser nations in the world, but success is success and I believe this could be the impetus for us to do something better in the future.” The multiple world batting record-holder made a call for the regional cricket bodies to pay more attention to the longer version of the game. “We won the Twenty20 World Cup which is great. We saw the beginning of the CPL which is a great success. I’m someone who believes that the marriage could take place. All forms of the game could benefit from what they have to offer to the world. I don’t believe that we should feel less attention to any version of the game. Spectators love the Twenty20 version and that’s great.” He continued, “traditionally, and our heritage over the last 80 or so years, have been our success on the field of Test cricket. From the period of the ’50s and the ’60s when we were fighting for our independence to the ’70s and ’80s when we were really stamping our authority on the world, and unfortunately the period of decline. “So we have to arrest all situations that we’re in-
volved in and represent our nation in the way that we see it best.” About the proposed two-Test series in India in November, the 44-year-old stated, “it’s always tough in India. It’s not an easy proposition going down there and winning a series, cricket matches or Test matches. Sachin (Tendulkar) is such a great player and I’m sure they’ll (BCCI) would want to give him the perfect send-off, if he’s really retiring. “Looking at West Indies cricket and what we have, with the likes of Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy, the Bravo brothers (Dwayne and Darren) and (Sunil) Narine. I think we’ve got a formidable group of players that we can squeeze something out of a series like that. “The commitment and the way the guys go out there to play is very important. Switching from one form of the game to the next is something that takes a lot of commitment, a lot of discipline. And we see they’re capable of it.” Sammy is the captain of the Test and T20 teams while Dwayne Bravo is at the helm of the One-Day International squad. “I don’t think it’s the perfect situation,” Lara said. “It’s never the perfect situation. We’ve got different forms of the game with different leaders. If that’s the option of the present time, then so be it. But it should not affect how a team performs. Ideally, you’ll like to have somebody who could handle all three forms of the game. You’re a professional, if you look at it in that way, and you’re a member of a team, you have to perform. (First published in the Trinidad & Tobago
Newsday)
ingston, JAMAICA - The Jamaican sensation Nikita Miller took out some time from his training sessions to answer a few questions asked by Sport Pulse correspondent. Before posting the entire conversation, Nikita Miller’s career highlights are a must to see. He has played 39 ODIs for West Indies and succeeded in bagging a Test cap to his name as well, but his record in international cricket does not reflect the talent he has got. The First Class record, however, reflects the true shadow of his talent. A bowling average of just 16 in First-Class cricket in 56 matches can be considered as one of the most sensational stats for a bowling all-rounder. Below is a short chat with the Jamaican star. Q. How do you think you have changed in terms of your playing after you debuted for W.I.? Nikita: I thought is was extremely difficult to play at that stage watching on television but after I actually played I realized that once you are capable skill wise and you believe you can do well and so I did, and I got more confident. Q. The West Indies selectors keep overlooking you and select other spinners. What are your efforts currently to be a part of the national team?
Nikita Miller
Nikita: In sports people have a dip in form from time to time and I did and there were a lot of spinners performing regionally so they got their chance and did well so I have to be patient and continue to work hard to get back which I am trying to do at the moment with the West Indies A team in India presently. You have to adopt a never give up mentality or you will fall by the way. Q. How frustrating is it to not be a part of the national team despite showing a string of good performances? Nikita: It’s normal to feel disappointed, but I’m working hard and I’m believing it will pay off in good time so I just supporting who is there until my time comes. Q. You have batted and scored quite a few runs in
FC cricket. Have you ever considered being an allrounder? Nikita: I am very happy with my performance as a batsman too, and I have always thought over becoming an all-rounder. I am also currently working on that aspect of the game too. Q. What, according to you, is your most memorable bowling spell and why? Nikita: Australia versus West Indies at The Wanderers against South Africa. I bowled 10 overs for about 24 runs got 2 wickets, in that I got Ricky Ponting stumped and just the way in which I had one of the best batsman to ever play the game playing was pleasing to me, unsure why he couldn’t score against me freely as the ball was coming out lovely that day. Q. You recently played
for the Jamaica Tallawahs. How was your experience playing with international players? Nikita: It was brilliant and I loved every minute of it, I learned a lot from that experience, to be advised by the legend in Murali, listening to Sangakkara speak about cricket was priceless. Sharing the field with stars from Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka was a moment that I can’t forget. I just can’t wait for next year and would be aiming to win the league for my team. Q. Which format do you prefer most, T20, ODI or Test and why? Nikita: Test Cricket all the way. It is where the true meaning of cricket is displayed and expressed. ODIs and T20s have their own role in Cricket and should always be a part of our lovely game and so too Test Cricket. Q. Who is your role model? Nikita: I don’t have a role model, I believe I can learn from just about anyone. The message is important not the messenger. When asked about what he loves to do besides Cricket, he immediately said about spending time with friends and family. He also told us that he would have really like to be an Architect, if he were not a cricketer. (First published by Sport Pulse)
I’m standing for elections - Srinivasan N Srinivasan has said he will stand for re-election as BCCI president at the Indian board’s annual general meeting, to be held in Chennai on September 29. The announcement is not a surprise but his success, a foregone conclusion a few months ago, is now hostage to several legal and judicial issues that are beyond his control and may crystallise formal opposition to him. Under BCCI rules, any presidential candidate has to be nominated by two associations from the incumbent’s home zone - south zone in Srinivasan’s case, and that is where the focus is shifting. As Srinivasan left the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday after attending a meeting of the board’s marketing committee, he was asked if the other members from south zone were standing besides him. His response was succinct: “I am going to stand,” he said, before taking a dig at the media for speculating on the numbers game in the event of an election. While Srinivasan has made his candidature public, it cannot be ascertained at this point if the murmurs within the board opposing Srinivasan’s stubbornness to hold on to the chair
N Srinivasan
will turn into a credible organised lobby sufficient to match Srinivasan both in terms of stature and power. The early runner seems to be Shashank Manohar, Srinivasan’s predecessor, a lawyer with a no-nonsense yet low-profile attitude.
Interest
Manohar hasn’t yet made any concrete or public move towards returning to job he left in 2011 but it is believed that efforts are on to persuade him to contest against Srinivasan. One official privy to the developments told ESPNcricinfo that Manohar has shown interest but he is still gauging his support, especially from the south zone.
Manohar, who hails from the central zone, will need a proposer and a seconder from the south zone most of whose members are staunch Srinivasan loyalists. It is believed that the anti-Srinivasan lobby - comprising senior politicians in New Delhi who are also part of the BCCI top brass - has been exerting political pressure on the Goa Cricket Association to shift its allegiance from Srinivasan. The same lobby is also working on the Andhra Cricket Association to be the other member needed to set up a candidate. “Our stand is still undecided. We will discuss with our member units and then decide, since there is no hurry as such,” an ACA official said on Thursday.
Chargesheet
Both sides also have an eye on two important legal developments that could impact the election. One involves the IPL fixing case, in relation to which Srinivasan’s son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested in May. Mumbai Police is expected to file its chargesheet any day and the gravity of the charges against Meiyappan could play a part. Srinivasan himself has already been chargesheeted
- in his capacity as managing director of India Cements in a corruption case involving a top political leader from Andhra Pradesh. If he is arrested in this case - and it is not impossible, given the high-level political machinations at work - then the board might agree to replace him as the BCCI president, even though the issue has nothing to do with cricket. “If that happens, we will have to find a new face,” a Srinivasan confidant conceded. It is these uncertainties that the Cricket Association of Bihar has sought to tap into through a public appeal to the BCCI members. The CAB - which is not a part of the BCCI - had filed the petition in Bombay High Court against the constitution of the IPL probe commission and on Tuesday made a “sincere appeal” to BCCI members to reject Srinivasan’s candidature. “He continues to be in a ‘step aside’ situation as president,” the appeal said. “The BCCI cannot afford to have a president who will be in a permanent state of ‘step aside’ and not be involved in its day-to-day affairs.” Despite all this, Srinivasan remains the most powerful person in the board and the man to beat in the elections. (Cricinfo)