Brian Lara, How Good Was He?

[Stan_Darsh72]

I must ask this question as Lara was one of my favorites as a kid but i only really saw him in about one series but i tired basing my batting off him.

I am 22 years old and must confess that i only rely on youtube videos to see him bat and these videos only paint some of the picture. I ask big footy of how good lara was form people who managed to see is epic knocks and all of his playing days.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Freaking amazing. Opposition bowlers were scared of him in a way that they weren't of the other superstars of that era (Tendulkar, Ponting) because he could take you down and there was very little you could do about it. He was unorthodox. You never quite knew what he was going to do. The Gary Ablett Snr of cricket. It was a shame that he had to carry a fading team on his shoulders for the bulk of his career. Basically for the second half of his career if he got out cheaply they'd lose by an innings.

 

[Spanghertron]

I must ask this question as Lara was one of my favorites as a kid but i only really saw him in about one series but i tired basing my batting off him.

I am 22 years old and must confess that i only rely on youtube videos to see him bat and these videos only paint some of the picture. I ask big footy of how good lara was form people who managed to see is epic knocks and all of his playing days.

I was 11 when he and richie richardson put on about 290 runs back at the scg in the summer of 92-93. I remember thinking that we would never get them out. He ended up being run out for 277 and it rates up there with one of the top batting performances i can remember. He dominated against a fairly decent bowling line up of Warne,McDermott and hughes.

 

[La Vache]

The thing about Lara that always baffled me was his ability to break out of a slump. A bowler or attack could have his measure in a series, he would whiff on a couple early, then plaster them all over the field and the next day he'd be walking out 150*.

Basically with his eye in there was not a thing any attack could do but try and roll the other ten as soon as possible.

There has never been and never will be a bowler Lara wasn't capable of bringing to their knees.

 

[DaRick]

Truly brilliant but also truly inconsistent. He could win your team a game singlehandedly but also have a large run of outs.

Up there with Tendulkar, Ponting and Chappell.

 

[ioppolo]

The GOAT of his era.

 

[MisterMarcus]

He was a great batsman, but relied a bit more on his outstanding eye and sheer brute force than a "beautiful" technique like Tendulkar or Ponting.

This meant he could be a little inconsistent, which some judges hold against him. But if he looked you in the eye and decided he was going to get 200 today, good luck trying to stop him.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

IMHO, the greatest batsman over the past 30 years. I have always rated Barry Richards the best batsman I saw, Brian Lara comes second. I never understood why some people rated Tendulkar ahead of him, but I guess it's all based on what you see, and Lara was awesome. I know there's a lot more to it that statistics, but you had to love the way he broke Garfield Sobers' record that stood for over 30 years, and the moment someone passed him, he broke the record again, and these records were 10 years apart. Top it off with the phenomenal 501* as the highest 1st class score, and you can appreciate what an amazing player he was.

 

[thejockey]

Best pure hand/eye player I've ever seen
High backlift that went to gully that defied any coaching technique yet could play all round the wicket
Genius !

 

[The 747]

Amazing player, one of the true greats. Could be chancy early on, and somewhat inconsistent (relative to peers like Tendulkar) but once he got going he was unstoppable. Check out his innings v us in Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and that series in the WI where he singlehandedly dragged an average team to a drawn series with us. Or the series in SL where he got a hold of Murali in his prime and blasted him all over the park.

 

[The Passenger]

I was 11 when he and richie richardson put on about 290 runs back at the scg in the summer of 92-93. I remember thinking that we would never get them out. He ended up being run out for 277 and it rates up there with one of the top batting performances i can remember. He dominated against a fairly decent bowling line up of Warne,McDermott and hughes.

It always amazes me that when looking back on old times in cricket, people rarely mention how amazing it was that the "arrival" of two of crickets all time greats happened within a week. The test before Warne takes 7-for at the MCG to show he belongs at test level, then a week later Lara blasts that amazing innings to mark his first test century.

 

[STFU Donnie]

I was 11 when he and richie richardson put on about 290 runs back at the scg in the summer of 92-93. I remember thinking that we would never get them out. He ended up being run out for 277 and it rates up there with one of the top batting performances i can remember. He dominated against a fairly decent bowling line up of Warne,McDermott and hughes.

293, with Richardson getting 109. After his innings he said he couldn't remember a single shot he'd played himself, so entranced was he by the bloke at the other end. Now that's a compliment!

 

[Oaktree]

Easily the most exciting batsman of his generation, but of his peers the least reliable.

In saying that, of his peers the most reliable to score a big ton once reaching 100.

 

[Spanghertron]

It always amazes me that when looking back on old times in cricket, people rarely mention how amazing it was that the "arrival" of two of crickets all time greats happened within a week. The test before Warne takes 7-for at the MCG to show he belongs at test level, then a week later Lara blasts that amazing innings to mark his first test century.

I didn't realize it was Laras first test century but i remember warnies effort. It was considered his breakout performance.
Apart from Laras amazing innings i also remember big curtly absolutely slaughtering us in the same series. He took 3 5-fors in that summer with a best of 7/25 for a total of 33 wickets from 5 tests. Ambrose is one of the best fast bowlers i have ever seen.
Feel very lucky that i was able to see such a talented group of cricketers play, especially with the standard of W.I players today.

 

[Plugger35]

One of the best innings I saw Lara play was against South Africa in the opening game of the 2003 World Cup.

The West Indies went in as massive underdogs and Lara just tore SA's highly rated attack apart to lead them to an upset win.

His placement and power was incredible to watch, no better batsman to watch when he was in the groove.

 

[The Passenger]

Obviously wasn't the most consistent of the greats of that era. That was partly down to his own style and temperament and partly down to the fact he was basically carrying the West Indies team for the second half of his career.

His best was the best of that era IMO and I reckon he was the most entertaining in full flight as well.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

He's alright. But not as good as what he others are saying. I'd rate Warner's 23 yesterday better than anything Lara's produced.

 

[King Elvis]

IMHO, the greatest batsman over the past 30 years. I have always rated Barry Richards the best batsman I saw, Brian Lara comes second. I never understood why some people rated Tendulkar ahead of him, but I guess it's all based on what you see, and Lara was awesome. I know there's a lot more to it that statistics, but you had to love the way he broke Garfield Sobers' record that stood for over 30 years, and the moment someone passed him, he broke the record again, and these records were 10 years apart. Top it off with the phenomenal 501* as the highest 1st class score, and you can appreciate what an amazing player he was.

For me;

Ponting - had the best run of peak form.

Tendulka - had the best overall career.

Lara - had the highest peak of the 3; on his day, he was just beautiful to watch.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

If Brian Lara has the best peak, however the term peak is interpreted, then he's actually the best outright.

 

[STFU Donnie]

He's alright. But not as good as what he others are saying. I'd rate Warner's 23 yesterday better than anything Lara's produced.

 

[Oaktree]

For me;

Ponting - had the best run of peak form.

Tendulka - had the best overall career.

Lara - had the highest peak of the 3; on his day, he was just beautiful to watch.

That is probably as a fair a call as you can get.

Ponting's run around 2003 was incredible.

Tendulkar averaged comfortably over 50 across a 25 year test career, hovering around 55 most of the time.

Lara's run around 1993-95 was out of this world, particularly his home and away series against England during that period.

 

[STFU Donnie]

What hasn't been discussed is how these three ended their careers.

If we look at the final three calendar years of their careers we find the following numbers:
Lara (31 tests): 3037 runs @ 55.22;
Ponting (28 tests): 1828 runs @ 37.31;
Tendulkar (24 tests): 1389 runs @ 35.61.

I think the feeling was quite rife that Ponting and Tendulkar hung around a bit too long, but it seems Lara went out at this best. In fact, the year before this (ie his 4th last), Lara scored 1344 runs @ 74.67 to give a final four year total of 4381 runs @ 60.01! How many batsmen can claim their final four years to be their most productive?

 

[Carbine Chaos]

What hasn't been discussed is how these three ended their careers.

If we look at the final three calendar years of their careers we find the following numbers:
Lara (31 tests): 3037 runs @ 55.22;
Ponting (28 tests): 1828 runs @ 37.31;
Tendulkar (24 tests): 1389 runs @ 35.61.

I think the feeling was quite rife that Ponting and Tendulkar hung around a bit too long, but it seems Lara went out at this best. In fact, the year before this (ie his 4th last), Lara scored 1344 runs @ 74.67 to give a final four year total of 4381 runs @ 60.01! How many batsmen can claim their final four years to be their most productive?

Ponting was a walking wicket for most of the latter part of his career. It was sad!

 

[PAFC_1870]

My favorite of all time, I reckon had he had some decent support around him he'd be even better. Sometimes he just didn't give a s**t and smacked a few and got out.

Best batter I've seen. Anyone that can make the greatest Aussie bowlers on their home decks look second rate, is without peer IMO.

Shame he didn't come around a decade later to dominate 20/20 leagues, he'd be born to play that.

 

[Oaktree]

What hasn't been discussed is how these three ended their careers.

If we look at the final three calendar years of their careers we find the following numbers:
Lara (31 tests): 3037 runs @ 55.22;
Ponting (28 tests): 1828 runs @ 37.31;
Tendulkar (24 tests): 1389 runs @ 35.61.

I think the feeling was quite rife that Ponting and Tendulkar hung around a bit too long, but it seems Lara went out at this best. In fact, the year before this (ie his 4th last), Lara scored 1344 runs @ 74.67 to give a final four year total of 4381 runs @ 60.01! How many batsmen can claim their final four years to be their most productive?

That is a good point about Lara.

Sangakkara might also be like Lara in the past four years for him without checking his stats.

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