Legends of West Indies Cricket – Part 1
West Indies players have dominated the game since their advent into the international cricket arena. The country has produced several big names in the history of cricket. The success of Caribbean players in the sport shows the level of commitment and passion
they had for the game of cricket.
The Caribbean side is considered to be one of the strongest teams in the international cricket between the period of 1970 and 1990, which saw them winning successive World Cups in 1975 and 1979.
During the glory years of 70’s and 80’s, the West Indian cricket team has been under likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Courtney-Andrew-Walsh-c51620.
Though the side failed to impress as a team at the international arena over the past two decades like their predecessors of 70’s and 80’s but it did produce some legends and match winners like Brian Lara, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/S-Chanderpaul-c2390.
Brian Lara
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brian-Charles-Lara-c48471 is one of the best batsmen the international cricket has ever seen, and by far the best test batsmen the country has ever produced. He had the ability to annihilate bowling attack of any class on his day.
With his eyes always on the ball, Lara had a unique batting style; bat raised high in the air and the weight poised on a bent front knee. His ability to hit the ball through the ropes at the speed of light is something feared by many world-class bowlers.
Lara, 10th of Bunty’s 11 kids, was enrolled in the local Harvard Coaching Clinic by his father and sister when he was only six so that he could get weekly coaching sessions on cricket every Sunday. His cricketing talent was discovered by the Trinidad
and Tobago selectors at the age of 14 when he scored 745 runs in a season at an average of 126.16.
He was selected in Trinidad crickehttp://www.senore.com/Cricket/Thomas-George-Burrows-c93472’s under 16 team in 1983. Lara became the youngest captain ever of T & T when he was given the reigns of the domestic side in 1990, at the age of 20. The veteran led the team to Geddes Grant Shield title in 1990.
The same year Lara made his Test and ODI debuts for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at Lahore and Karachi respectively. The veteran went on to play 131 Test matches compiling 11,953 runs. With a batting average of 52.88, the Test credentials
of legendary Caribbean batsman are beyond impressive. Lara recorded 34 centuries and 48 half centuries in his Test career including his career best of unbeaten 400.
Lara played 299 One day Internationals for West Indies scoring 10405 runs at an average of 40.48 including 19 centuries and 63 fifties.
His seventeen-year-long career spanning between 1990 and 2007 saw him breaking several cricketing records. By scoring 375 runs in a Test match in 1994, Lara broke Sobers’ highest run score of 365. though Lara’s record was broken by Mathew Hayden of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746
in 2003 by scoring 380 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 in 2004.
Besides Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies national side, Lara played for several other teams including http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mumbai-c820 Champs.
Tags: