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A lone fighter - Viv Richards


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http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/21/stories/2007042104692100.htm A lone fighter Lara's career coincided with a trough period as far as pace bowling in the Caribbean is concerned, writes Vivian Richards Where does one start with Brian Charles Lara? A player blest with enormous talent, a leader often inspirational, often flawed, a lone fighter at a time when West Indies cricket was constantly surprising itself by discovering new lows? I still remember hearing about this talented young Trinidadian left-hander, who was captain of the junior team. When I saw him play, I could see that he was enormously gifted and had a special talent for playing long innings, even when he was in his teens. He made the grade pretty quickly, and in the first half of the 1990, he played some really outstanding cricket that marked him as the best young batsman of that time. Later in that decade Sachin Tendulkar and he, along with Inzamam-ul-Haq were the premier batsmen, men who on their day could demolish the best bowlers in the business. He was a genius, without a doubt, and his records are proof of the fact that he never lost the ability to concentrate over long periods of time. Enormous ability His enormous ability, however, was not fully realised in the sense that his records did not translate into any major tournament win or even consistent Test-winning streaks by the team. When we look back at his career there is this great dichotomy of a batsman having an outstanding record, even while the opposition was often outplaying his team. I can't blame Brian for this because it is true that his career coincided with a trough period as far as pace bowling in the Caribbean is concerned, particularly when he was captain. However, I still think Brian would be the first to accept that he could have saved and won many more games for his team. The other regret Brian would have is the fact that he never had good support and guidance from the West Indies board. The top bosses of the game did not always see things from his point of view. Unfortunately for Brain, his career started during the heady days of West Indian supremacy, but ended at a time when the game in the region is in a crisis, thanks to the complete lack of vision and planning for more than a decade. If ever a player deserved to play in a better era, it was Lara. No full support As captain too, he hardly ever got the full support of the selection panel. This and frequent sponsorship issues, and other forms of rebellion affected him, and his captaincy was often erratic. I think he has left the game at the right time, particularly since the West Indies Cricket Board had clearly told him that the only role they saw him in was as captain. He himself mentioned that he had discussed his retirement with the board, and clearly it's a well-thought out decision. On Saturday, when I watch him play at Barbados ? I plan to go for the game now that I hear it is his last ? I want fans to forget the disappointment of the West Indies campaign in the World Cup. Instead, I hope fans will come in to watch the man who was so masterful through the 1990s, and gifted his side with countless achievements that we can all be proud of. Here was a man who could accomplish just about anything on his day ? and that's the way I would like to remember this very special player as I see him take the field for the last time. Gameplan
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