CATEGORY:SPORTS(CRICKET) ------------------------------ INSIDE GRENADA MONDAY April 30,2007 by Wallace J.A GRENADA: According to reports reaching the news desk of Grenadian Connection, the 26-year-old Guyanese right-handed batsman, Ramnaresh Sarwan, has been chosen as the new West Indies cricket captain to tour England early next month. It is believed that this decision was made after a special meeting of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday (Sunday April 29, 2007). Sarwan, who was vice-captain of the West Indies team under the recently retired cricket genius, Brian Lara, has gone down on record as saying that if the job was offered to him, he will grab it with both hands and perform to the best of his ability. Ramnaresh Sarwan and Daren Ganga were the two names widely circulated in the region as likely successors to Brian Lara.Ganga, however, has not been able to cement his position on the team and has been in and out of the side. Sarwan seemed to have been the choice of many West Indians including former renowned regional cricketers. Sarwan has played 65 test matches and has a batting average of 38.8. His highest test score is 261 not out. He has played 124 one-day –internationals and has a batting average of 44.55. His highest one-day score is 115 not out.Sarwan’s first task as the new West Indies skipper should be to sit with the selectors on Tuesday to pick the team to tour England. The West Indies team is presently deflated after a miserable performance in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The regional side made it through to the Super Eight round and only won one game – against Bangladesh. Many persons have attributed their lackluster performances to a number of factors: the poor relationship between players and the WICB, the ill discipline of some of the cricketers, their unwillingness to train hard and their poor work ethics. On the eve of their tour to England, there is again a contractual row between the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA). Since a Memorandum of Understand was signed by the two parties last year, almost every tour contract has ended up being sent to arbitration, and the board has yet to have a ruling go in its favour. With the England tour due to start at Taunton on May 12, both sides need a decision soon. It is expected that the arbitration panel, which is believed to be the same one that backed WIPA in the argument over contracts for the World Cup, will hand down a ruling by the end of next week. The West Indies will be playing four tests and three ODI’s against England.