Jan. 18: It was all there — the high backlift coming down from first slip to meet the ball followed by the familiar last-minute shuffle to get in line. The only thing missing in Brian Charles Lara’s game at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Tuesday was the famed timing which sent the ball scurrying across the field in a majority of the 1,559 boundaries he hit in Test cricket.
One of the modern-day legends of the game was hoping to return to competitive cricket via the Indian Premier League but was snubbed by the franchises in the recently concluded auctions. Lara, in the capital to conduct a coaching clinic, though was not rattled by his exclusion, adding that the franchises failed to understand his real utility. “I am not at a stage where I want to play 18-19 games in a year with an IPL team. I would have loved to come to India and play again. Apart from my batting I bring a lot of knowledge about the game,” the 41-year-old said.
“I wanted to be part of a sucessful team and dressing room. I could have helped out as a mentor for the youngsters. I believe I can still do the same next year,” the maestro said.
The former West Indies skipper is currently assisting the Zimbabwe team for the World Cup, but believes India are going to be the team to beat in the tournament starting next month. “In the sub-continent conditions, the Indians are definitely the favourites. They will need to deal with the crowd pressure at home though. South Africa are also looking good but the World Cup has been their bogey event,” he said.
Finally, Lara had no doubts about the fact that Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman ever to play the game. “For me Sachin is the greatest cricketer since I didn’t seen Don Bradman bat. What he has achieved over the last two decades is something to cherish.”