Lara bids farewell with run out

Elmo RODRIGOPULLE in West Indies

FAREWELL: It was one of the most moving moments in the wonderful game of cricket, when Brian Charles Lara bid farewell, playing his final game against England in the Super 8 series of World Cup 2007 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Lara’s efforts and his many records with the willow and what he did for the game will be written in letters of gold.

It is said that all good things must come to an end. And it was no different with this champion batsman who entertained the thousands who watched him perform miracles with the bat.

Sri Lanka’s former captain and stylish batsman, Ranjan Madugalle who was the match referee in the West Indies - England game, thanked Lara and wished him well, on behalf of the Match Referees and Umpires Association.

In every nook and corner of the Caribbean the topic being discussed is the quitting of Lara from international cricket. While some reason that what he did was right, many think that he should have stayed on as a player.

Lara’s woes began when the team kept disintegrating in the Super 8 series. Had he not been captain, for sure Lara would have still been in the game.

Lara’s supporters in his home town of Santa Cruz Trinidad are convinced that their home town hero was forced to quit. They argue that he should have stayed on, not quit and played for at least a couple of more seasons.

Lets read what Lara’s brother Mervyn has to say, ‘I feel West Indies cricket needs Brian. Brian could have handled pressure. He should have stayed on. Personally as a brother I know the world will be missing a lot of entertainment.

‘But you know how the thing does go, one day Brian makes runs and everybody put him high up and as soon as he fails everybody put him down.’

Brother Mervyn thinks that Lara’s quitting cricket might help the family. ‘At least now people when they see me won’t blame me when things go wrong. Brian did enough’, according to the ‘Express’.

Michael ‘Joey’ Carew, Lara’s mentor said people would now recognise and miss the valuable contribution Lara has made to West Indian cricket.

‘The millions of cricket followers who he has given the pleasure of supreme entertainment will regret the moment of his retirement.

‘But he is not lost to West Indies cricket as I am sure that he knows the way forward for West Indies cricket to attain the heights that they once enjoyed.

Ken Gordon, President, West Indies Cricket Board said that Lara had carried Caribbean cricket for at least two decades and no one can take that away from him.

‘People may say lots of things about he’s done this and he’s done that. But let’s understand, there’s a price that goes with genius... all our real greats, many of them have tended to be awkward, or people for one reason or another have been critical of them because I suppose they are driven by different forces and they think differently.

‘We have to take the whole picture and accept the good with the bad. But overall, I think so much more on the plus side. He’s been tremendous for West Indies cricket and I’d really like to see us he’s honour’, that said Gordon.

And what a sad and frustrating way to go run out, when Samuals called him and refused to respond. The crowd stood to wish on his farewell.

JAMAICA, Sunday