West Indies board lauds Lara for turnaround in cricket fortune

Port of Spain, May 29 (UNI) Viv Richards dubbed it a commercial move while others were apprehensive but the cricket board here is vindicated and claimed Brian Lara's appointment as the captain of the West Indies team was a masterstroke which resulted in a stunning turnaround in the fortune of the side.

''I think we have a team that is playing with new vigour. I think they are being well led,'' West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President Ken Gordon told CMC's Cricket Plus Friday.

Before the seven-match series against Zimbabwe, Lara took over the reigns from Shivnarine Chanderpaul under whom, the West Indies could not win a single Test or ODI series.

With Lara at the helm of affairs, West Indies whitewashed Zimbabwe 5-0 in the series that saw two matches being washed away by rain and against all odds, they upstaged India 4-1 in the five-match ODI series that concluded yesterday.

''I am seeing ongoing improvements in the bowling. There is much for us to be pleased about and I think on all fronts we have gone forward positively,'' Gordon added.

The board chief also felt that the team was settling into a rhythm and it helped being Lara at the top.

''As far as the reasons for this, I think people have a sense of things settling down and I believe these things always start from the top and for whatever reason, I think now that we have been able to settle the issue of the captaincy, I think many things have flowed from this and I hope they will continue to flow and develop,'' he added.

UNI XC AY PG BD1622