Troubled Lara turns to Fans for support

What with the final test at Centurion Park looming in five days time and the seven limited-overs matches of the international slogs just around the corner from that, Lara has appealed to West Indies fans ``to send words of encouragement'' before he limped out for a brief innings against the Western Province XI at Langa on Saturday.

Whether it was Lara's way of extricating himself from taking full blame for the team's dismal performance in the test series is not clear. But, like the black rhino, West Indies victories on this tour have also entered the realm of the endangered species. Not at all a comfortable situation for the Windies captain on his first overseas tour.

It was claimed while Lara left it to the team's manager, Clive Lloyd, to inform the five who had drawn the short straw and would not be wanted for the limited-overs series, the skipper was busy pleading with West Indies fans on CricInfo not to desert his side.

''We're also hurting too'', he wrote in his weekly column for the Bridgetown newspaper The Barbados Nation. ''Just help us get through this.'' Since the first test was lost at the Wanderers at the end of November the tourists have received few faxes. Which is not usually the case as ``when we are doing well the fax machine is always busy''.

In what is an unusual insight of Lara's inner thoughts, he says being 4-0 down with one match to play had not been easy to accept.

``Sometimes you need a friend when you are down ­ not only when you are on top,'' Lara said. ``I know the guys would welcome some kind of encouragement from home.

``How nice it would be for the president of my own country (Trinidad) to send something to us ... to offer a word of reassurance or consolation.'' Then, as if remembering the squad was about to change Lara said some of the players ``felt so bad that they wanted go home''. Which is one way of absolving himself and the Windies selectors of pressure, transferring it instead to Lloyd and the coach, Malcolm Marshall.

As it is there is still some uncertainty whether Courtney Walsh and Franklyn Rose, two who are heading for the Caribbean, will be fit in time for the test at SuperSport Centurion starting on Friday. Lloyd said the reason for the early departure of the two bowlers was to ``rest them for the series against Australia'' but a lack of form saw Clayton Lambert along with Stuart Williams and Mervyn Dillon joining them.

What is surprising is how Floyd Reifer managed to hang on to his place in the touring side. Lara must either enjoy his company or there is a view is more of limited-overs player than a first-class player.

``The selectors had to look at balancing the squad and acted on the advice they have received,'' Lloyd explained, his reaction a little open handed, however, when asked why there were two wicketkeepers. ``I'm just the manager. Not a selector.''

Keith Arthurton, who should have been in the squad in the first place, is one of the replacements who arrive on the eve of the final test.along with Keith Semple, fast bowler Reon King and all-rounder Neil McDonnell.