West Indian batting great Brian Lara, who had completed the 18-hole golf course stint in the extremely hot conditions at the Hyderabad Golf Association at the invitation of its member and former Member of Parliament Dr. G. Vivekanand here on Friday, reminded that the Indians have always been a very good side at home and the big difference now is they have more versatile players who can bat in any conditions even abroad.
“But, one should remember the impetus has been provided by the great Sachin (Tendulkar) at his peak. He passed on a rich legacy to the highly talented youngsters who are ready to take on the world now,” he pointed out.
“Virat Kohli is arguably one of the best batsmen in contemporary cricket and he has his own style of batting. I am not the one to give any ratings or make any comparisons of him with anyone else. And even in captaincy he has his own style which is proving to be very effective,” Lara said.
On whether he willing to take up any coaching assignment with the West Indies team, a smiling Lara said that he did not have the coach’s badge right now. “May be, after a couple of years when I am qualified to be one, I might think about it,” he added.
“You know the kind of politics prevalent in West Indies cricket. I don’t want to get into that straight away. I am not a politician and never wanted to be one. Whatever help I can give, I always do at a personal basis like helping out Darren Bravo or any other youngster,” Lara said.
Lara felt that West Indies is struggling in the two formats — 50 overs and Test cricket — despite winning T20 World Cup twice because it does not have the kind of that experience like they have in the shortest format. “In T20 you have the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard who are the most sought after players across the world in this format. We need players of that calibre in the other two formats to excel. The current crop of youngsters lack the vital experience to handle the pressures of that brand of cricket which is again the ultimate test for any cricketer,” he remarked.
Lara revealed that his fascination for golf started when he was in 20s and feels that it is the best sport to break away from the stress of playing demanding cricket. “That is the reason why I always stepped onto the golf courses especially in Australia and New Zealand during my playing days to stay fresh — mentally and physically — for the bigger battles on the cricket field,” he said.
“I love this golf course in Hyderabad and I got the first feel here a couple of years ago but then it was not a full 18-hole course. The rough is here fantastic especially the 14th and 15th holes. And the guys are really appreciative (referring to the caddies),” Lara said.
