Sat, Mar 31, 2007 - Page 18 News List

Loss leaves Windies in trouble

KIWI VICTORY The hosts now face an uphill battle to reach the semi-finals of cricket's World Cup, with skipper Brian Lara unhappy about his side's batting

AFP , ST JOHN'S, ANTIGUA

The West Indies' Ramnaresh Sarwan unsuccessfully dives to stop a boundary hit by New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming during their ICC World Cup Super Eight at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in St. John's, Antigua, on Thursday.

PHOTO: AFP

West Indies captain Brian Lara issued an appeal for unity as tensions within the World Cup hosts' camp surfaced after their seven-wicket Super Eights defeat by New Zealand on Thursday.

This latest loss came hot on the heels of a 103-run thrashing by world champions Australia.

Lara's men have now lost both their first two matches in the second phase of the tournament and face an uphill task in qualifying for the semi-finals

West Indies selector Andy Roberts, during the New Zealand match, gave an interview on local radio saying the five-man panel as whole had, since last month, had no say in the make-up of the team.

The comments from the former West Indies fast bowler came amidst suggestions that only Lara and coach Bennett King were currently picking the side.

"Bennett King is best to answer that," Lara told reporters after Thursday's match.

"I think we picked the best team possible. I can simply say to Andy Roberts that I did not select this World Cup team. I was not there at the meeting. The team was selected without me but I still go out there and fight my best with the 15 players [World Cup squads are 15 strong] given to me."

"Everybody has West Indies' interests at heart and if people want to be critical at this point in time, I don't think it's fair," he said. "We just have to try to play to the best of our ability and get to the semi-finals."

New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming was among those surprised by the omission of fast bowler Jerome Taylor, which meant the West Indies attack had just one genuine quick in Daren Powell, on a pitch Lara had labelled a "batting paradise" after the Australia game.

But Lara, after seeing West Indies bowled out for 177, said batting, not bowling, was the team's biggest problem.

"We haven't scored 250 runs yet in any of our games at the tournament," Lara said. "The significance today [Thursday] was in scoring 177. You can have 10 bowlers and you are not going to defend it."

He said a lack of patience with the bat was proving costly.

"I just think on a couple of occasions guys got set and we didn't go on -- Chris Gayle was looking good, [Ramnaresh] Sarwan and all of a sudden in a matter of three or four overs we had lost wickets. I think maybe the guys are not looking at the fact we've got 300 balls to face," he said.

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