Cricket: Consultant hints at deep-seated problems

By RICHARD BOOCK

WELLINGTON - The mind games have already started in the Caribbean following the West Indies' scarcely-believable nine-wicket loss to New Zealand at Hamilton.

The man who was appointed the team's official performance consultant after the 5-0 series whitewash in South Africa earlier this year has claimed the current West Indian squad is stronger than the one which drew the Frank Worrell Trophy series against Australia - but adversely affected by off-field problems.

Sports psychologist Dr Rudi Webster, whose dealings with the side before the series against Australia apparently played some part in their revival, is a former right-arm fast bowler who played 60 matches for Warwickshire and two seasons for Otago in the 1960s.

His views on the recent loss - reported in an article written by West Indian commentator Tony Cozier in the Barbados Nation newspaper - included the suggestion that the tourists had a serious problem with both their captain and the harmony of their management team.

Webster was reported as saying that Lara was playing so far below his potential that something must be basically wrong.

"Here's a batsman who has the record test score of 375, who is the only batsman to score 500 in first-class cricket and virtually held Australia to a draw by himself less than a year ago," he said.

"To see him playing now, you would have to know something is drastically wrong.

"I think we have to find out what it is and then address it."

He also reportedly expressed concern about the open discord within management.

"We have a member of the management group attacking in a very personal way the chairman of selectors," he said - in reference to manager Clive Lloyd's alleged description of selection chief Mike Findlay as old and crotchety.

"All these things can impact on the players.

"I'm not trying to make excuses but if the team behind the team is not doing its job properly, then it's very difficult for the team on the field to do theirs."

Webster believed new coach Sir Vivian Richards had a difficult job lifting his players for the remainder of the New Zealand series, but was adamant the squad had the ability to win.

"I think this team is better except for the absence of Curtly Ambrose," he said.

"We were without Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the whole South African series and Carl Hooper for the first two tests - and had three players who weren't ready for cricket at this level."