The Editor, Sir:

Brian Charles Lara is the greatest batsman that has ever graced the face of the cricketing arena, comparable to none. The negative comments that have been made recently are very unjust as the game of cricket is a gentleman's and a team game.

One man does not constitute a team. Therein lies our problem. We have great expectations of Brian Lara all the time as if to portray him as not being human. It is easy to see the 'bandwagonists' in cricket.

When the first match in the ICC World Cup was played, Jamaica versus Pakistan on March 13, 2007, the West Indies cricket team was the best thing ever; subsequent to that, the Ireland and Zimbabwe matches were almost if not fully sold out. We won those matches and were on our way to being the first host nation to win the World Cup, etc. Then we faced Australia, South Africa & New Zealand in a matter of days. The West Indies was expected to perform at optimal levels; they didn't and then came the wrath of Babel.

Feel like crying

We need to understand, cricket is not called a game of "glorious uncertainties" because one can predict winners all the time. We started to lose games and 'wagonists', and to blame Brian Lara. He has now resigned from cricket and I feel like crying. To not see this great man perform internationally after Saturday, April 21, 2007 is an atrocity. If Sarwan becomes the captain and England beat us, who then is to blame; shall we ask for Sarwan's head?

Be realistic, everyone has good and bad days in cricket - look at Pakistan, India and England. Ireland, a virtual nobody in the cricketing arena, has just achieved international one-day status and I for one am very proud of them. I am proud to be Jamaican and West Indian and will always be a Brian Charles Lara fan and a West Indian die-hearted supporter if we never win another game in cricketing history, because I remain an ardent supporter of the game of CRICKET.

I am, etc.,

BOBETTE HINES FRANCIS

sugarjamming@yahoo.com