Sarwan vows to win back Test place

Aug 03, 2011 Sports

---

 

West Indies star Ramnaresh Sarwan has vowed to win back his Test place after admitting he nearly quit the game eight months ago in a story in the Royal Gazette in Bermuda.
The Guyana batsman was dropped for the final Test against India recently because of a lack of form and has been in and out of the team over the past couple of years having clashed with the West Indies Cricket Board over a number of issues.
Primarily, Sarwan and the WICB fell out over his perceived lack of fitness, and more recently there was a disagreement over their lack of support when he was wrongly-implicated in a match-fixing investigation.
Sarwan and new coach Otis Gibson haven’t always seen eye-to-eye either, and the situation wasn’t helped by the batsman’s decision to fly to Miami after being dropped instead of staying behind and working on his game.
The Windies star though has revealed that he flew to the States to be by his sister’s bedside while she gave birth, and said he hadn’t made that known publically because ‘sometimes it’s not good to get too much information out there’.
Now, however, he is determined to leave his troubles behind him and do ‘whatever is necessary’ to regain his place in the Windies set-up.
“I did actually (consider quitting),” said Sarwan, “probably as recently as eight months ago, because everything was getting frustrating.  “You’re in a situation where you’re not sure what’s happening, whether it was for a good reason or a bad reason. I always felt I was walking a very thin line (with the Board), and obviously…I mean, it’s just a matter of how bad I want it now.
“Everything else is behind me, what happened in the past has stayed in the past, there’s nothing that will get in my way from here on in. I will put everything aside and show myself, and continue to be the old Ramnaresh Sarwan who first started his career in 2000.”
Sarwan, who was in Bermuda last week to help out with Digicel’s Summer Cricket Clinic, believes he has a lot of cricket left in him and is intent on proving himself in the Caribbean T20 tournament later this year.
“The past two-and-a-half years it’s been disappointing,” he said. “Obviously I’ve had my problems with the Board in terms of my fitness issue and stuff like that, then I have been out of form.
“I have been in and out of the team, but I think it’s just a test of my character. I think I have a lot more cricket in me and I’m determined to gain back my position, and do whatever is necessary cricket-wise to get back there.
“I think that runs and wickets plays the game, I think once you perform you’ll play, and if you don’t you’ll suffer the consequences. The easiest part is to get there, the hardest part is to stay, I’ve got some work to do.  “I’ve got another two months before the regional tournament starts, it’s a tournament I’m looking forward to and I want to show myself back in the regional tournament, and get myself back into the West Indies team.”
Sarwan is one of several senior players who have been dropped recently as the continued political wrangling that have dominated Windies cricket in recent years continue apace.
He was also one of those players held responsible for the Islands failings at the World Cup in April.
Despite that, Sarwan wants his Test place back, and believes that he, and the others, should return so that the Windies can start winning again on the World stage.
“There have been ups and downs, there have been a few things that have been done differently, but it’s important that we try to keep improving as a team,” he said.
“I think…Chris (Gayle) has been out, myself has been out, Jerome (Taylor) has been in and out, Denesh Ramdin has been out. Quite a few senior guys have been out of the team, but having said that we are still competing.
“I think what is important is trying to turn that competing into winning. I think at the end of the day what is important is winning, it doesn’t make sense that you lose a series, and draw a Test match, or whatever it is (with a weakened team).
“I think once we perform as an individual we deserve to be picked.”
Being able to have time with his sister as she brought a new member of the family into the world has given Sarwan a new approach to life. Becoming an uncle has opened his eyes to the possibility of starting his own family, but for now it is all about working on his game and earning the right to represent his country once more.
“I was in Miami for almost three weeks,” said Sarwan. “Her (his sister) husband was in the army, so it was difficult for him to be there, so I had to be there for her.
“I took the opportunity to try and help her out, thank God everything is okay with the little baby now, and I’m able to move on now. I hope everything goes well with the little boy because I love him dearly.
“It was (an eye-opener), I tend to appreciate things more. It’s making me feel if I want to have a family.
“It was good being around him, I enjoyed having some time off. Obviously I was dropped, then people talked when I Tweeted ‘here I come Miami’, but no-one knew the reason I was going.
“People are free to say what they want, but sometimes it’s not good to get too much information out there. I haven’t really played any cricket, but when I get back to Guyana it’s strictly business.”

---

---