Sarwan not interested in getting back West Indies captaincy

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE from the West Indies

CRICKET: QUEEN'S PARK OVAL, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, April 12: Ramnaresh Sarwan, the man who paved the way for West Indies to win the Second Digicel Test by 6 wickets with a classic century (102) against Sri Lanka and square the series, is not looking to get back the captaincy.

When Brian 'King' Charles Lara, was dethroned failing to take the Windies to the World Cup finals last year, the Windies selectors placed the crown on Sarwan.

Critics here welcomed the move and admitting that Sarwan has a shrewd cricketing brain, predicted a bright future for him.

Then on his first tour to England, he had the misfortune of being injured and the present captain Chrys Gayle took over. Sarwan also missed the tour of South Africa.

Then when he recovered and made himself available, it was the consensus that he would be handed back his captaincy crown. But that was not to be.

The selectors Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Clyde Butts stuck and reposed their faith in Gayle, who won a Test in South Africa and now that he has squared a series, is not likely to be moved.

Sarwan who won the man-of-the-match and the man-of-the-series awards against Sri Lanka, has effectively squashed the captaincy issue by overwhelmingly, endorsing Gayle to continue as captain.

Gayle was only Australians appointed for the Sri Lanka series. Now with Ricky Ponting's Australians due here in May for a Test and one-day series, the selectors will give Gayle the nod to continue.

Gayle has been doing a great job. At the moment I do not think there is anyone better to do the job. Everyone has been rallying round him.

'Whether he is captain or regular player, he has been the most calmest player I have seen on the field. Whenever he has to say something, he says it. He is very quiet in the dressing room.

Sarwan is now the vice-captain. He hit 80 and 72 in the Guyana Test against Sri Lanka and followed up with 57 and 102 in the Test won by Windies at the Oval. In 69 Tests, he has scored, 614 runs at an average of 40.

Continuing Sarwan said: 'When you look at players around the world, they started to mature around the age of 26, 27 and that probably goes on to the age of 33, 34.

The Windies have a gargantuan task when the rampaging Aussies play here in May. How the Windies will fare will be interesting to watch.

Would the Windies and Australia play an unbelievable series like when Sir Frank Worrell and Richie Benaud led the teams in the 1960-'61 series, only the end will tell.