BRIAN LARA was retained on Monday night as West Indies captain for the first two of four Tests against Australia, the West Indies Cricket Board president Pat Rousseau said. There have been calls for Lara’s dismissal as captain after the West Indies were beaten 5-0 in Tests and 6-1 in one-day internationals in South Africa – the worst performance in Windies history. Rousseau said the board respected his outstanding abilities but he needed to improve his leadership skills significantly. Lara (29) holds the world record for the the highest first class innings (501 not out). “We believe he has it within him to fulfil his potential but we are not prepared to wait indefinitely for these qualities to emerge,” Rousseau said.