Lara signs MRF bat contract

BRIDGETOWN: Double world batting record holder Brian Lara signed a contract, said to be worth more than a million dollars, on Tuesday with MRF Limited to use the bat from their product line. The West Indies captain joins two of the world’s other leading batsmen, Sachin Tendulkar of India, and Austra-lian Test captain Steve Waugh to use the MRF bat. “When I first saw Tendulkar and Waugh using the bats, I thought to myself it was a difficult group to join, and I’m very honoured to be only the third player offered such a contract,” Lara said during a news conference at the Kensington Oval’s Board Room. The 34-year-old Lara experimented with an MRF bat in his first match of the World Cup in February — scoring 111 against South Africa — and he has now signed an initial one-year contract with the company.

“From the first time I used the MRF bat, I felt comfortable with it, like if it was made for me to play with,” said Lara, who holds the individual Test (375) and first-class (501) world batting records. Woorkeri Raman, the Deputy Manager of the MRF Sports Goods Division, said he was happy to have Lara join Tendulkar and Waugh as clients. “This is an important day for MRF,” he said. “We have spent plenty of money in international cricket, and we want to be tied with the great players of the game today, and all three of these players are champions in their own way,” said Raman, a former India Test player.