Devon Dick

The West Indies selectors should bring back Brian Lara for the home series against Sri Lanka and Australia in order that cricket fans in the West Indies can bid him a proper farewell. Recently, Adam Gilchrist, Australian wicket-keeper, announced his retirement from Test cricket and he got a grand farewell in his last Test match. Inzamam ul Haq, who led Pakistan to a disastrous tour of the West Indies in the World Cup, was called back for one Test match to bid farewell. In addition, one remembers Viv Richards waving his bat in England at his last match. We were there for Courtney Walsh's final ball. Brian Lara, the leading Test run getter deserves no less. He has served West Indies cricket with distinction. He led the team to victory in the ICC Champions Trophy.

Brian Lara has a marvellous cricket eye that spots talent. Many are now hailing Chris Gayle as a good captain. But years ago, he identified Gayle as a future captain at a press conference after the victory in London when Gayle was not even captain of Jamaica! Lara was bold and not afraid to speak his mind. In addition, it was Lara who picked Fidel Edwards.

Lara was courageous in standing up for his fellow cricketers. When the WICB in one of its faux pas decided to axe some members of the team because of a sponsorship deal with Cable and Wireless an the board cleared Lara, he stood by them and did not join the new look team.

Best Test innings ever

Brian Charles Lara, according to Wisden, the bible of cricket, has played some of the best Test innings ever and we need to recognise his greatness by allowing fans in the West Indies to see him raise his bat for the last time in a Test match.

There is no batsman in the modern history of the game that had a greater expectation than Lara. When Lara went to the crease, the expectation was for a big score. He is the only batsman that can make a century and people feel that he has failed. Of him, they had great expectations. I will never forget the occasion, after Lara had made over 150 runs, Ian Bishop as a cricket commentator said that this innings could be a big one. For most mortal batsmen that would have been a big one. Bishop was a prophet indeed because Lara went on to make 400 runs, the first in the history of the game. It was also the first time a batsman was retaining the title as the highest individual test scorer.

Lara has great mental fortitude. When he is under pressure, he produces the goods. He has great mental concentration as evidenced by his numerous big scores, including his 501, the highest first class score.

Elegance

Brian Lara not only had the ability to bat for long but, he did it with elegance. He was not a slow accumulator of runs but could score quickly. He could destroy any bowling attack. The present leading Test wicket taker, Muttiah Muralitharan, said Lara is the best batsman he has ever bowled to.

Some who grudgingly recognise Lara as a genius claim that he was a flawed genius. Ridley Jacobs said Lara was selfish. Lara also treated Courtney Walsh shabbily. Yes, Lara had feet of clay. Nevertheless, we need to show him some love by affording him and the cricket fans one last opportunity to know that this is his last innings. Let us bring back Brian Charles Lara for an official farewell. Happy Valentine's Day to all my readers.