Lara urges West Indies to work harder
AFP
12 December 1998
PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Dec 12 (AFP) - Brian Lara urged his
West Indian team to put in more effort following Saturday's
178-run defeat inside three days in the second Test against South
Africa.
The Caribbean captain's post mortem of another match lost took
over two hours.
``While we are 2-0 down it does not mean we are out of the
series,'' Lara said when his team finally emerged to face the
media. ``It just means that we've got to fight harder to get one
back, to get three back.''
Lara said that while he was disappointed he had to praise
frontline bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, who, he
said, had probably performed better in Port Elizabeth than they
had over the last five years.
``But the chaps have got to realise that they are all wearing the
West Indian badge on their caps,'' he added.
``One doesn't mind if you are beaten by the better team and South
Africa were the better team at this present time, but they are
not taking five days to beat us,'' Lara said.
``They are taking two and a half days to beat us, so we are going
to have to start looking at these things.''
``We are going to have to start playing to win even in the
provincials. This team can beat England 3-1 and there is no
reason why they should not beat South Africa.''
But, Lara said, the West Indies were not in a despondent state.
``If you are beaten by a better team, and we have been, then you
can hold your head up high. We haven't given 100 percent.''
``So we've had a very serious talk and there's no reason why we
cannot beat South Africa or put up a proper fight.''
South Africa on Saturday announced an unchanged squad of 12 for
their third Test in Durban over Christmas.
Copyright 1998-2001 AFP. All rights reserved. All information displayed on
this page (dispatches, photographs, logos), with the exception of CricInfo
logos and trademarks, are protected by intellectual property rights owned
by Agence France Presse. As a consequence you may not copy, reproduce,
modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any
of the contents of this section without prior written consent of
Agence-France-Presse.
|