Nothing could stop Brian at all

THE EDITOR: Not even the words of Mark Waugh, Kerry O’Keefe nor the decisions by Rudi Koertzen and the neophyte Ian Howell could have stopped Brian Charles Lara. Unlike the military Alexander the Great, Lara has more records to capture so he would not be shedding tears for now like Mark Waugh when his career was ended by the Australian selectors. When the King of Batting was given out on three occasions Down Under, it is felt that the West Indies Cricket Board was too tolerant as opposed to the Indian Cricket Board as well as other South Asian test playing nations.

Like the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers, the lefthander from Santa Cruz had to wait his turn to play Test cricket. Unlike his Barbadian counterpart, Lara began his Test career at a time when the limited overs atmosphere had been incorporated into the longer version of cricket, that is with the improved field techniques and placements. For those who missed the innings that broke Allan Border’s aggregate (as well as the six wicket haul by Lara’s compatriot and neighbour Dwayne Bravo), they were treated to some very unimaginable captaincy by Chanderpaul and inexperienced fast bowling attack by Fidel Edwards and Darren Powell. As much as I am against the attitude of Mike “Whispering Death” Holding, he is trying to teach many how to bowl to tail-enders.

JEFFREY M JOSEPH
Fyzabad