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WI cricket captain told to improve skills, or else ...

Brian Lara has held on to his position as West Indies cricket captain - barely - and with a major proviso.

In announcing Lara's retention for the first two Cable & Wireless Tests against Australia, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau spelt out clearly that the controversial Trinidadian needed to improve his leadership qualities.

``We believe he has it within him to fulfil his potential but we are not prepared to wait indefinitely for these qualities to emerge,'' Rousseau said last night in a news conference at the Courtsland Hotel in Antigua.

``To this end, he will be given specific performance targets by the chairman of selectors,'' he said.

Rousseau, a no-nonsense Jamaican businessman and lawyer, said Lara needed to improve his relationship with the players and pay more attention to punctuality, interaction with the coach and manager, and nurturing and development of his team members.

The 29-year-old Lara, holder of world records for the highest Test and first-class scores, took over as West Indies captain at the beginning of 1998 and enjoyed immediate success in a home series against England.

His position as captain, however, was put under the microscope following the embarrassing 5-0 Test series whitewash on the recent ill-fated tour of South Africa.

``Our investigation pointed clearly to weakness in leadership contributing to the poor performance of the team,'' Rousseau said.

Difficulty with unity

``The captain himself reported difficulty in achieving unity among the players. Problems were also evident at the level of the coach and manager.''

It is the first time in recent years that the WICB has not appointed a captain for an entire series and Rousseau said a further decision would be made after the halfway stage of the four-match series.

``The board and selectors value Mr. Lara's outstanding cricket ability and would like to see him carry on the tradition of great leadership of West Indies cricket established by captains of the past,'' Rousseau said.

``At the end of the second Test, the selectors will assess Lara's performance as captain against the targets set and decide on a captain for the final two Tests.''

Manager Clive Lloyd and coach Malcolm Marshall, both of whom have also come under widespread public criticism, have also been given strong words by the WICB.

``We have also spoken with the manager and coach and expressed a strong desire to see improvements in the leadership during the remaining months of their contract with the board,'' Rousseau said.

It was also disclosed that Lara would meet with a WICB sub-committee ahead of the first Test in Trinidad starting March 5.

The vice-captain is to be named when the 13-man squad is selected. That squad is expected to be announced by March 1.