Lara8217;s return to form essential for Windies

That proved groundless as Walsh and fellow fast bowler Curtly Ambrose spearheaded West Indies to a comfortable 3-1 series win over England at home.

But while Lara was praised for his tactical skill, that success was achieved without a major contribution with the bat from their new captain.

In victory, that could be ignored. In defeat, especially as ignominious as those reverses they are now suffering in South Africa, it becomes a focal point for critics.

After a 149-run defeat in the fourth Test yesterday, WestIndies face the possibility of losing a five-Test series 0-5 for the first time and Lara is very much in the firing line. Thirteen years ago, they went down 5-1 in a six-Test series in Australia.

The burden of captaincy may not have helped the 29-year-old, although many had expected responsibility to enhance his appetite for runs, not diminish it.

But his poor run of form had begun before he took over leadership of the former world champions. In Pakistan in late 1997, West Indies were beaten 3-0, their first whitewash in a series since 1928.

Lara8217;s own contribution was negligible, managing a highest score of only 37 in the three Tests.

That result produced a storm of protest throughout the Caribbean and squad manager Clive Lloyd had some of the harshest words for his men. 8220;To say they are playing bad cricket is being nice to them. It is unbearable,8221; he said.

Some critics put down Lara8217;s poor form to his disappointment at being denied the captaincy ahead of that tour. His subsequent elevation hasfailed to bring about any startling improvement. Lara8217;s last Test hundred was in June 1997 against Sri Lanka in St Vincent.

It was not only at Test level that Lara8217;s form was a disappointment last year. His return to captain English county Warwickshire, where in 1994 he became an instant hero with a succession of blazing centuries, including the world first-class record 501, was a dismal failure.

A run of poor batting performances saw him heckled by Warwickshire supporters and a late season double-century was not enough to salvage his reputation.

The tour of South Africa, the first by West Indies since the dismantling of apartheid, has been a disaster for the visitors before it started Lara was stripped of the captaincy after a player boycott over match payments.

He was eventually reinstated and the tour went ahead but the team was demoralised and never performed close to its potential.

Yesterday8217;s fourth successive defeat by South Africa is bound to bring another spate of criticism in theCaribbean.

Lloyd refused to be too harsh on his players immediately after the match, confining himself to saying there was a lot they could learn from the South Africans. He said it was up to Lara and his vice-captain Carl Hooper to pull the team around.

8220;You are judged by the amount of obstacles and how you overcome them,8221; he said of Lara8217;s role as captain.

Lara still managed a smile for the television cameras. 8220;We8217;ve got to buckle down and see how we can get out of this slump,8221; he said.

Ahead of the fourth Test, Lara had received a goodwill message from Trinidad sports minister Manohar Ramsaran: 8220;Now that the chips seem to be stacked against us, I expect that being the great cricketer and astute leader that you are, you will use the obstacles as stepping stones rather than as stumbling blocks.8221;

8220;I expect you to astound us with your brilliance once more as we proceed with the rest of this tour. There is still a lot that can be salvaged before the proverbial fat lady sings8217;.8221;

There willbe time only for a short song following the fifth Test, even if West Indies manage a draw or even a win.

First they play a seven-match, One-Day series before leaving South Africa. They then face the toughest task in cricket with a series at home against Australia.

It could require a return of Lara8217;s brilliance to prevent another humbling defeat and set West Indians singing again.