"Look at the current Indian cricket team."Talk about West Indies cricket and how most of the talented players are being lured by private leagues, Lara refused to call them "mercenaries".. As far as I am concerned, it might be in the horizon, you never know," he said. So hopefully, it doesnt do too much damage but it still belongs to West indies board, the power to ensure that it doesnt happen," he asserted. He is a guy you cannot leave out in any era.its a situation where as a youngster, you have an opportunity to go out there and make a living for yourself.Another player Lara praised was English all-rounder Ben Stokes, who enjoyed a stellar run in the World Cup and the Ashes. He is, for me, the cricketing equivalent of Cristiano Ronaldo," Lara told PTI during an exclusive interaction."Certainly not," said Lara, who didnt agree with the view, saying some of the illustrious predecessors in the late 70s had machine screw anchors Manufacturers already set the precedent by joining Kerry Packers World Series Cricket (WSC).

"It depends on Cricket West Indies to decide on who all they want in their set-up.He is not averse to contributing actively to West Indies cricket but then he wants CWI to decide how badly they want his services. They have the most exciting T20 league (IPL) and yet they are excited about Test cricket as well as all the versions of the game," he said.Therefore, it wasnt surprising to see Lara gush about Stokes Ashes-saving 135 not out at the Headingley."His batting skills are unbelievable."His fitness level and his mental strength are unbelievable. I dont think he is any more talented than a KL Rahul or a Rohit Sharma but his commitment to preparing himself properly stands out. I cant say that theres something thats new. Over the years there has been a lot of involvement by former cricketers. He came up through a very rough period couple of years back (Bristol pub brawl and subsequent suspension) and he has shown the mettle to put things aside and soldiered on as a cricketer. So if you can make a living playing T20 leagues then why not? I dont see it as a mercenary act," Lara said. Series like West Indies vs Australia (Worrell Trophy), West Indies vs England (Wisden Trophy) have always had a legacy created over the years," he said. If a guy is averaging 50 plus in all versions of the game, then that is something which is unheard of," the legend said.

"It was an unbelievable innings that he played.The lure of private leagues will be there but then its the custodians of the game in the Caribbean, who need to take the initiative and show the world that they care about their players, Lara said.However, he wants Cricket West Indies (CWI) to draw a plan that would keep youngsters interested in Test cricket keeping their below-par show in the longest version during the past few years.Lara himself has been a part of some of the most memorable fourth innings chases against Australia where he batted with the tailenders."Each cricketer has to make a choice. You have seen Usain Bolt run for Jamaica and not for the West Indies.".. Back in the day in late 70s, there was Kerry Packer and there was an exodus of cricketers."I am hoping that West Indies dont have to get involved in a lower Test level."West Indies have 5 to 6 million people, different islands, different politics. You must give him the credit not only for that innings but also for his 84 not out in the ODI World Cup final.Visakhapatnam:

Virat Kohli is the cricketing equivalent of soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for his sheer commitment towards the game even though a K L Rahul can consider himself at par with the India captain in terms of talent, feels West Indies batting icon, Brian Lara..One of the greatest batsmen to have played the game and for many, the best left-hander of all-time along with Sir Garfield Sobers, Lara says he is in awe of how Kohli has honed his skills to take batting to an "unbelievable level"."I think it has got a lot to do with Virats outstanding commitment besides his preparation."Not everyone will be playing for the West Indies."A youngster may want to do different things, (but) if you have a structure in place, I am sure you can have the effect of what the baggy greens have in Australia. Cricket is the only unifying force but still has its problems to keep it unified in terms of getting the infrastructure needed," Lara said."For the 50-year-old Lara, who scored nearly 12,000 runs in Test cricket, Kohli can fit into the best teams of any era - be it Clive Lloyds Unbeatables of the 70s or Sir Don Bradmans Invincibles of 1948

Posted by: nchoructi at 06:58 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 825 words, total size 5 kb.