‘If I wanted someone to bat for my life, it would be Rahul’

KINGSTON: People change, time often forces them to.

Reinvention is generally regarded as the key to being successful over a long period of time but all that changes when Brian Charles Lara comes into the picture. The left-hander bowed out of the game as gracefully as he made his debut — always looking to go for his shots; always looking to play ‘his’ game; always looking to entertain.

On Sunday, the world saw Lara’s career flicker to an end. As he walked out for one final time, he was given a standing ovation by a crowd that has loved to hate him only to be seduced by his strokeplay again after his every folly. England players lined up in a guard of honour; something that his teammates surprisingly shunned. Lara doffed his helmet to the crowd, a few tears glistening in eye, savouring the moment — the sound of cheers, the sight of a capacity crowd and the view of it all from the centre of the pitch.

Lara paid glowing tributes Indians and his pal Sachin Tendulkar whom he described as ‘special.’ “He has a couple of years left in him, maybe even another World Cup. He is a special player.” Asked what could he tell Sachin at a time he is retiring, his reply was crisp and clear: “He (Sachin) knows what he has to do. He is an outstanding cricketer and a wonderful person off the field. What can I say to him at this point, really? Like me he had a disappointing World Cup, but I think he knows best what he has to do,” he added.

Then he went on praise Indian skipper Rahul Dravid. “Over the years many cricketers have brought me joy, friends like Sachin among others. Rahul Dravid is one player I could go and watch. Come to think of it, if I wanted someone batting for my life, it would be Rahul,” he said. Among the bowlers, he thought Wasim Akram was outstanding. Among the spinners, he said, it was Shane Warne.

Perhaps, no one in cricket possessed Lara’s drive to get the big runs and to get his team to victory. The West Indies skipper holds two batting world records, scoring an unbeaten 400 against England in the Antigua Test in 2004 and an unbeaten 501 against Durham in a first-class game in 1994. “It (records) was just destiny. The man above decides on all these things,” said Lara.

The instances of when he fought a lone battle are too many to recount  but his strokes had the rare ability to bring a dead match back to life. For the past decade, whenever Windies would lose quick wickets, a familiar murmur would rise among the islands — ‘Lara’s still there.’

“My dream over the past 17 years was to keep the West Indies on top. When I arrived, we were on top of the world,” said Lara, who was accompanied by his daughter Sydney, named in honour of the venue where he hit his first Test century, at a crowded press conference.

“There was a decline and unfortunately we haven’t been able to stop that. That has been the most disappointing (thing). If there’s one thing that I have great hope for it is to see this team get back to the top.

After the match against England ended in defeat, Lara made it back to the ground, and asked the crowd just one question. “All I ask is… did I entertain?” Now, we all know the answer to that one, don’t we? For now it suffices to say that the West Indies will need to find a new hero. Lara also said: “There are many things I am sorry for. You try your best, but sometimes your best is not enough.”

“I saw no reason for me to carry on at this point of time. It was the right time to call it a day and I think I made a right decision,” said Lara. “The last 10-12 years I spent as a player have been very tough. It was a tough ride, a tough career,” said Lara.

“I’ll never be lost to West Indies cricket and I think I have an important part to play, but let the right time come. I haven’t thought about my future yet,” he said.

“As long as I entertained people I am happy. It’s important to put smiles back on peoples’ faces. The fans gave an emotional farewell to me. It brought tears to my eyes and I’m always going to cherish memories like this.”