On Sunday, former West Indies captain and multiple record-holder Brian Lara was tempted out of retirement to play for the MCC against a Pakistan XI at Lord’s. His captain for the day, Sourav Ganguly, too was firm on staying away from the game.
Speaking minutes after the match on late Sunday night, the former India skipper said, “I’m done with India — 100 Tests is good enough! But a couple more seasons of the IPL.
“He (Lara) played in this match after an invitation from John Stephenson, whom he’s known for years. I enjoyed playing with Lara who is one of the all-time greats, and loves playing at Lord’s — he enjoys matches here,” Ganguly added.
According to Ganguly, playing at Lord’s was fun. “The MCC side did very well (losing by just six runs). It was a high pressure match, good standard of cricket, with pressure and expectations on players of both sides.”
Expressing pleasure at playing against the Pakistan players again, Ganguly said, “It’s always good to play against them. They have a tough tour coming up against Australia and England. Pakistan generate a lot of talent, they need to play aggressively and they will find success.”
Aiden Blizzard top-scored for the MCC with 73 as the hosts fell just short of the Pakistan XI’s 165 in the 20-over game.