Brian Charles Lara is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all-time. Check out some of the most interesting trivia about the former West Indian Cricket Legend:
Interesting Trivia about Brian Lara
1. Brian Lara is popularly nicknamed as “The Prince of Port of Spain”.
2. Besides cricket, Lara was good player of Soccer and Table Tennis and represented Trinidad and Tobago as a junior.
3. His autobiography - ‘Beating the field: My own story’ released in 2009.
4. Lara was awarded the ‘BBC Sports Overseas Personality of the Year 1994,’ and was also the ‘Wisden Cricketers of the Year 1995.’
5. As per Wisden Almanac his inning of 153 not out against Australia in the third test during the 1998-99 series was the best inning next only to that of Sir Donald Bradman.
6. Lara was inducted in to ‘ICC Hall of Fame’ in the year 2012, in recognition of his achievements as a legend of the game.
7. Sachin Tendulkar is one of Lara’s closest friends. When Sachin surpassed Lara’s record for most Test runs, he was presented with a quintessentially Trinidadian present — a miniature steel-pan or steel drum native to the island by Lara. He opened Tendulkar’s famous posh Mumbai restaurant and has publicly quoted that “Sachin is the greatest batsman he was known”.
8. In his first tour of Australia, Brian Lara scored a brilliant double century at Sydney. It was so special for him that he named his first daughter - Sydney in 1996.
9. Brian Lara is the only player to score both 2 Test triple centuries and 2 career quadruple centuries.
10. Lara travels around the world on a diplomatic passport promoting the splendid Trinidad and Tobago tourism.
11. In 2009, when President Barrack Obama came to the West Indies, he met West Indies’ star batsman Lara. Lara’s prodigious talent was hailed by Obama himself who swung the bat Lara style calling the Prince” The Michael Jordan of Cricket”, an honor cherished by Brian.
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12. During the presentation ceremony of his last ODI, he asked the fans, “Did I entertain?”, to which he received an overwhelming cheer from the crowd, after which he went out and took his ‘lap of honour’ where he met and shook hands with many of the fans.
13. As per Sri Lankan Great Off Spinner Muttiah Muralithara, Lara was considered as the most dangerous batsman he had bowled, as per Muttiah Muralitharan.
14. According to great Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath, ‘Lara was the greatest batsman he has ever bowled to.’
15. Lara opened a cancer treatment centre in his name in Port of Spain. His mother passed away on January 2002 due to cancer.
Saurabh