Brian Lara: The Lean Years

[hawkeye]

Brian Lara ended his Test career with an average of 53.17. But from the time of the West Indies? tour of India in late 1994 to the South African visit that ended in February 1999 he averaged just over 44 runs per innings in Tests. For most other players this would have been a respectable run. The Trinidadian was no ordinary player, however, and that period of his career was one of underachievement.

Setting a field to Lara while in full stride was a perfunctory exercise that captains engaged in simply to fulfill their role, since there was scarcely any hope of containing him. He, more than any other player of his time, had the ability to make fielding a pointless profession.

It is difficult to imagine any batsman possessing a wider range of strokes, and the amplified backlift indicated a fondness for playing them. His degree of precision was such that it is only a mild exaggeration to say he could hit any patch of grass he aimed for, and sometimes gave the impression that he could hit any delivery to the boundary.

Brian Lara: The Lean Years

 

[PokerAce]

Brian Lara: The Lean Years

Interesting. Were there any more recent cricketers who in the past went through similar 'lean years' phase for 4 or 5 years. It would be interesting to compare the likes of Lara, Ponting, Tendulkar, Dravid, Sangakarra, Inzi and Kallis, the pillars of modern day batting, and see what their lean years were like or if they were even there, and how they emerged from it.

 

[War]

Ye i remember this period of Lara career a combination of things caused this:

- Problems with administration and the stress of captaincy

- Glen McGrath & AUS finding a technical weakness in his game during the 95 & 96/97 series.

- Difficult away tours to PAK & S Africa facing Wasim/Waqar & Donald/Pollock. This is somewhat related to point one, where captaincy stress was an issue.

 

[cricket_icon]

I really grew up in cricket in this period and never fully understood why Lara was loved so much by so many and then he found his form again and started to weave together some of the best test and ODI innings I've seen.

I will always rate Ponting and Tendulkar above him but not by much. The three greats probably provided the best trinity of batsmen in the sport...ever, supplemented ably by the likes of Inzy, Dravid, Yusuf and that oh so mercurial Azharuddin.