By Tony Becca - From The Boundary 
Lara - File
VICTORY IS always something to enjoy and on Sunday afternoon the fans really enjoyed themselves at Sabina Park as they celebrated a wonderful victory by the West Indies.
There are victories and there are victories, but that one was real sweet. It was better than the one against Australia.
With Australia having already won the series by winning the first three matches, that one, as exciting as it was, was more like a consolation prize.
This one, however, was the real thing. It was not only over Sri Lanka, over a team that had won all three matches the last time the teams met, and over a team that is ranked higher than the West Indies. After the drawn first Test, it was also the one that decided the series.
There is, however, another reason why it was a wonderful victory.
DISAPPOINTMENT
After the disappointment of failing to pass Sri Lanka's moderate first innings total, after their bowlers, led by newcomer young Fidel Edwards and Corey Collymore, had done so well, the West Indies lifted themselves.
After some brilliant bowling by Collymore, some good bowling by Jerome Taylor and Edwards, after the scare when Christopher Gayle fell early and then, to a lesser extent, when Wavell Hinds was dismissed, Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan batted them to victory in style.
Right around town, and from all reports, right around the island and the region, Edwards, Collymore, Taylor, Lara and Sarwan are being hailed - and with Edwards coming in from nowhere and doing so well, so too the much maligned selectors.
PAT ON THE BACK
One man who really deserves a special pat on the back, however, is Lara not only as a batsman, but also, and probably more so, as a captain.
As a batsman, Lara was brilliant throughout the series against Australia and Sri Lanka, and although some of his decisions to bat or bowl first after winning the toss are still debatable, as a captain, as a leader, he was good really good.
As a batsman, Lara was always great. As a captain, however, that was not the case before. Not only was he not a great captain, he was far from good.
GOOD CAPTAIN
So far, however, he has been a good captain, a wonderful leader - to the extent that even those of us who did not agree with his selection as captain, must be pleased.
First time up as captain, Lara was aloof, on and off the field, and after that, he was still aloof. It was as if he believed that everything centred or should centre around him, as if the performances of the other players did not matter, and may be because of that attitude, he did not have many friends on the team.
Looking on from the boundary, and based on what the players and those around him are now saying, the Lara of today is not the Lara of yesterday.
The Lara of today is a leader, he is interested in the performance of the other players, he is interested in the development of the young players, and apart from seeing it on the field, the players are singing his praise.
Unlike Carl Hooper, who was timid, Lara, as usual, is willing to take a chance, unlike Hooper, who lacked confidence, Lara is always talking about winning even when admitting to certain deficiencies in the team and that is good for morale.
LEADERSHIP
That is the kind of leadership that motivates and leads to success personally and for the players and the team, and that is the kind of leadership that West Indies cricket needs - particularly at this time.
Is it that Lara has matured as a person? Is it that he now realises that cricket is a team game, that a captain is as good as his players and that a captain is judged by the result of the team? Is it because he is now dealing with a lot of young players and is enjoying the challenge of grooming them and motivating them? Or is it that he simply realises that this is the last chance to become a great captain as well as a great batsman and to leave an indelible mark on West Indies cricket?
It may well be, as it appears to be, that the entire management team of manager, captain and coach, plus the selectors, is working better together, and it may well be, as those close to him have said, that Lara has looked in the mirror and is now a different Lara.
Whatever the reason, whatever the motivation, Lara has been doing a good job as the West Indies captain.
