Breaking News- Brian Charles Lara Retires

[marc71178]

Got tickets for the OT test this summer hoping to see him bat one last time (since he was comprehensively done over by Flintoff when I went to see him last time they were over when we thought it'd be his last trip)

 

[Fusion]

Woa! What a sad news. Goodbye Lara, thanks for the memories!

 

[TT Boy]

Got tickets for the OT test this summer hoping to see him bat one last time (since he was comprehensively done over by Flintoff when I went to see him last time they were over when we thought it'd be his last trip)

Now you have to look forward to seeing the likes of Devon Smith and Daren Ganga.

Who, sadly do not evoke Lara’s mantra of wanting “to be remembered as a batsman who provided entertainment to the fans and in adversity tried my best to perform”.

 

[Beleg]

It would have been great if WC 2007 had been Lara's swansong. Even so, I have never felt more down after hearing about a player's retirement than today: Brian Charles Lara - an absolutely amazing player and the heart-throb of millions.

 

[Perm]

Sad to see a player of his quality go, I was hoping he'd stay true to his word and play Test cricket until he was 40. True legend of the game, one of the greatest batsman I've ever had the privilege of watching.

 

[Gloucefan]

Sad, I only became interested in cricket after sitting down and watching England's last tour of the Caribbean. I never really got to see him in his 'greatness', well other than the 400 obviously. However being new to cricket then I couldn't really appreciate what I was seeing tbh. I would have like to have watched him bat in the next series.

 

[nightprowler10]

Was really hoping he'd keep playing tests. Gutted that its come to this. He's still capable of playing big knocks.

On a positive note, at least we got to see an explosive double century from him a few months back.

 

[Dasa]

Wow...really sad to see him go...another one of the cricketers I grew up watching and idolising are on his way out. I really hope he can ton up against England on Saturday. He deserves to go out on a high.

 

[oz_fan]

It would of been nice for him to have a swansong in tests and he always seemed adamant that he would play in tests till he turned 40. Lara would have to rank as one of the top 10 batsmen of all time and one of the most entertaining cricketers of all time. Hopefully he can have a great last innings against England.

 

[tooextracool]

Absolutely shocked. still think he was good enough to offer more than any other WI batsman and offer plenty to WI cricket. Honestly, watching cricket was far better with Lara on the stage and it will the first time i have watched cricket without him. Easily the best batsman i have seen in all of my 15 years of watching, no one outperformed him in a big match situation and whether he needed to bat for his life, score a big double century or hammer bowlers all over the park he could do it all.
This has been a sad world cup in so many ways. And its even worse when a player goes out without accomplishing his career long goal of putting WI back on target in the international arena.

 

[Jono]

This sucks.

 

[Barney Rubble]

The man who made the miraculous into the mundane. The man who, quite simply, made me want to score runs. Am devastated to hear this news.

However, I am also immensely proud that I had the opportunity to watch the great man bat - in a Test at Lord's, no less - and will treasure that fact and the memory forever. Goodbye, Brian. You'll be missed.

 

[_Ed_]

Not the best way for such a great player to go out.

 

[dass]

oh man this F_cking sucks, sorry.

its Brian Lara who made me fell in love with cricket back in 1993, so many beautiful memories of watching him. Whenever he came to the crease everybody in my family even my mom who doesn't watch cricket much would gather in the TV room and watch his innings, so many great memories. I Guess All Good things in life come to an end.

 

[pskov]

Very sad.

Warne, McGrath and Lara all retiring within a few months of each other and the possibillity that Tendulkar won't last much longer either. It really is the end of an era for me.

 

[nightprowler10]

Very sad.

Warne, McGrath and Lara all retiring within a few months of each other and the possibillity that Tendulkar won't last much longer either. It really is the end of an era for me.

Not to forget Inzamam, and we lost Woolmer. What a gutting few months for cricket, tbh.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Lara's the most flamboyant and exciting batsman I've ever seen. At his best he was simply unstoppable, and could demolish an attack without looking under threat for a second. Something of a flawed genius with the bat, but that made him even better to watch, and it's a testament to his peaks that he's still probably the best batsman of his time, when all things are considered. Under pressure he had the ability to play some incredible innings, and some of his performances against Australia were nothing short of amazing. Like Steve Waugh, he was someone you worried a lot more about when his team was up against it than when they were on top.

I'll miss his battles with McGrath most of all, and it's a huge loss to cricket to lose Australia's two great bowlers and Lara all in one summer. One can only hope there's someone half as good waiting to fill his place.

 

[howardj]

Series in WI in 1999 versus Australia was the highlight for mine. Scores of 213, 153* and 100 (in consecutive Test matches)

You champion

 

[JASON]

A Great Career - comes to an end. You will be missed , Brian Charles Lara ...the man who gave West Indies some consolation and hope after the loss of their great teams of the 60s to early 90s.... one of the top 3 great batsman the cricket world has seen.....

Will there ever be a West Indian revival in the future to the glory days of Yesteryear ....

 

[pasag]

Quite shocked really, I was under the impression that he'd given up ODIs to focus on and lengthen his Test career. One also has to think that perhaps politics were involved here.