If not Adams who?

After each of their successive disasters overseas over the past three years, the West Indies have had to grapple with the matter of the captaincy.

After the latest thrashing in Australia, Jimmy Adams must know that his position is as much on the line as was Courtney Walsh's following the 3-0 loss in Pakistan late in 1997 and Lara's after the similar 5-0 defeat in South Africa in 1998-99.

Walsh was replaced by Lara for the subsequent home series against England and Lara was later placed on probation for two Tests against Australia.

Adams had the captaincy thrust on him last February when Lara eventually resigned citing two years of moderate success and devastating failure after another loss in New Zealand. He said yesterday his 'gut feeling' was that he would like to continue in the job.

"It is not something I take for granted for more than one reason so I'll take it as it comes at the end of this tour," Adams told the end of match media conference. The West Indies now go into the three-way Carlton Series of One-Day Internationals against Australia and Zimbabwe before rerturning home in early February to prepare for a series of five Tests and seven One-Day Internationals against South Africa between March 9 and May 16.

Adams hinted that he would think matters over when the Australian tour ends.

"When we get to February, it'll be a chance to have a few days to sit back and reflect on all that's happened, to go over a few things, to speak to a few people and take it from there."

He explained that had always been his way at the end of every tour.

Adams was the obvious, if not only, choice when Lara took his leave and had his layoff of four months during last year's home series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan. The thoughtful Jamaican brought a sense of unity and intensity to the team and, contributing significantly with the bat himself, led the West Indies to victory in both Tests against Zimbabwe and a 1-0 series triumph over Pakistan and an innings win in three days in the first Test in England.

Since then, the West Indies have been beaten in eight of nine Tests but Adams has never lost his dignity nor his perspective. As Walsh and Lara discovered before him, it is difficult to lead a team so susceptible to batting collapses but, whatever their leadership failings, Walsh and Lara was each worth his place in the team.

Adams' has become tenuous and is compounded by tactics throughout the series that were open to question.

Since his 98 against England at Edgbaston last June, the left-hander Adams has managed one half-century in 14 completed innings from which he averages 19.5. It does not compel automatic selection with young batsmen like Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels competing for places and Shivnarine Chanderpaul likely to return to meet the South Africans.

The question is, if not Adams, then who for what has become the most insecure position in West Indies cricket?

Sherwin Campbell, the vice-captain, and Ridley Jacobs, whose fight and commitment have stood out for the West Indies as they did in his debut series in South Africa, are the only clear options.

The selectors have some hard decisions to make. If they decide on a change, it will be a tough and thankless assignment for the chosen one.