Brian Lara - London Press Day
William Ellis School in North London was the venue recently for the press launch of Brian Lara International Cricket 2005, attended by the legend himself, West Indies cricketer Brian Lara.
School pupils, along with the media, mobbed him as he arrived to talk about his career and the new videogame, while also highlighting an initiative to raise the interest in the game among school kids.
Lara quickly found time to share tips on his batting exploits, techniques and how to face down some of the world?s best bowlers with the kids. He gave a quick lesson on the dos and don?ts of batting and what he was taught that made him a world-class batsman, including a talk-through the fantastic, record-breaking 501 for Warwickshire against Durham 11 years ago, along with the more recent 400 not out for the West Indies facing England.
However, the kids were not one for the records - they preferred to have the chance to take on Lara on the virtual pitch, as he played against them in the new Brian Lara International Cricket game. With Brian in the unaccustomed role as bowler the kids took turns at being batsman, trying to show him a thing or two!
But he showed he?s a good all-rounder, when, after dropping an early catch, struck back to take two quick wickets, bowling in the game as his West Indies team-mate Corey Collymoore. He also varied his bowling well, launching some virtual bouncers and yorkers at the English batsmen he was facing the game - making it difficult for the kids to emulate their hero!
As he said in the press conference afterwards, "I?ll play as long as I?m not a liability, whether that?s on the field or on the virtual pitch!"
The William Ellis school was chosen to host the event due to its fantastic cricketing facilities, within their newly redeveloped sports hall. However, as the launch also highlighted, too often cricket stars of the future are denied a way to practice the real game as the number of participants in schools? cricket falls.
Research has shown that kids? taking part in the sport has declined to 15% over the last few years, according to a 2002 report from Sport England. In its place, cricket has been superseded by basketball, skateboarding and other American sports, these becoming vastly more popular as they appear again and again in videogames.
As a spokesman on behalf of the ?Chance To Shine? campaign, committed to re-invigorating cricket in schools, Lara talked candidly to the assembled media including the BBC, ITV and Skysports about getting schools back to forefront of teaching pupils about the benefits of the game.
Lara commented that he felt Codemasters? game would have a positive effect on those kids. "They have the opportunity with Brian Lara International Cricket to play and learn cricket. Even if they?re not good at the sport out on the pitch, they can enjoy the game of cricket." He hopes that this will translate into attracting the next generation of sports fans back into the game.
"This game is speaking the kids? language. Youngsters love videogames and I hope that once they see how fun, flowing and athletic the sport is in the game it will encourage them to get out there and give cricket a try for real".
The school?s head teacher, Richard Tanton concurred. "We build this hall with its fantastic cricket nets to develop a cricketing environment - so children can play more cricket. For these pupils they will never stop playing, now they can say they?ve played against Brian Lara, whether that?s for real or via Codemasters? excellent videogame".
William Ellis School in North London was the venue recently for the press launch of Brian Lara International Cricket 2005, attended by the legend himself, West Indies cricketer Brian Lara.
School pupils, along with the media, mobbed him as he arrived to talk about his career and the new videogame, while also highlighting an initiative to raise the interest in the game among school kids.
Lara quickly found time to share tips on his batting exploits, techniques and how to face down some of the world?s best bowlers with the kids. He gave a quick lesson on the dos and don?ts of batting and what he was taught that made him a world-class batsman, including a talk-through the fantastic, record-breaking 501 for Warwickshire against Durham 11 years ago, along with the more recent 400 not out for the West Indies facing England.
However, the kids were not one for the records - they preferred to have the chance to take on Lara on the virtual pitch, as he played against them in the new Brian Lara International Cricket game. With Brian in the unaccustomed role as bowler the kids took turns at being batsman, trying to show him a thing or two!
But he showed he?s a good all-rounder, when, after dropping an early catch, struck back to take two quick wickets, bowling in the game as his West Indies team-mate Corey Collymoore. He also varied his bowling well, launching some virtual bouncers and yorkers at the English batsmen he was facing the game - making it difficult for the kids to emulate their hero!
As he said in the press conference afterwards, "I?ll play as long as I?m not a liability, whether that?s on the field or on the virtual pitch!"
The William Ellis school was chosen to host the event due to its fantastic cricketing facilities, within their newly redeveloped sports hall. However, as the launch also highlighted, too often cricket stars of the future are denied a way to practice the real game as the number of participants in schools? cricket falls.
Research has shown that kids? taking part in the sport has declined to 15% over the last few years, according to a 2002 report from Sport England. In its place, cricket has been superseded by basketball, skateboarding and other American sports, these becoming vastly more popular as they appear again and again in videogames.
As a spokesman on behalf of the ?Chance To Shine? campaign, committed to re-invigorating cricket in schools, Lara talked candidly to the assembled media including the BBC, ITV and Skysports about getting schools back to forefront of teaching pupils about the benefits of the game.
Lara commented that he felt Codemasters? game would have a positive effect on those kids. "They have the opportunity with Brian Lara International Cricket to play and learn cricket. Even if they?re not good at the sport out on the pitch, they can enjoy the game of cricket." He hopes that this will translate into attracting the next generation of sports fans back into the game.
"This game is speaking the kids? language. Youngsters love videogames and I hope that once they see how fun, flowing and athletic the sport is in the game it will encourage them to get out there and give cricket a try for real".
The school?s head teacher, Richard Tanton concurred. "We build this hall with its fantastic cricket nets to develop a cricketing environment - so children can play more cricket. For these pupils they will never stop playing, now they can say they?ve played against Brian Lara, whether that?s for real or via Codemasters? excellent videogame".
