Brian Lara, How Good Was He?

[free at last]

No, I agree. My earlier post was due to an initial sore bottom your opinion caused me. The difference is marginal. As a viewer, your opinion is of merit. It's unlikely Brian has played a better knock in odi that what Gilly did in the 07 WC final.

However. When discussing the merits of their abilities. I think Gilly would be considered that quarter step behind Lara.

I agree that Lara was the better batsmen overall but gilly when on song,only Sir Viv was more menacing from what I've seen.
I just loved the absolute contempt these two showed to bowling attacks.

 

[sigur]

Watched him destroy us in Barbados in 1999, glorius innings and a hell of a test match

 

[Spitta Andretti]

Being (just about) 22 like the OP, I can't say I've seen an awful lot of Lara, either. No doubt he is one of the all time greats, but I do think he's just a tad bit overrated by Aussies because he made it a habit to punish Australia on so many occasions.

 

[imadodgyumpire]

Being (just about) 22 like the OP, I can't say I've seen an awful lot of Lara, either. No doubt he is one of the all time greats, but I do think he's just a tad bit overrated by Aussies because he made it a habit to punish Australia on so many occasions.

Hehehehe You're a funny guy.

 

[footyfan1978]

I agree that Lara was the better batsmen overall but gilly when on song,only Sir Viv was more menacing from what I've seen.
I just loved the absolute contempt these two showed to bowling attacks.

Don't think I enjoyed watching two batsmen take apart bowling attacks like these two could do often.

 

[crownie]

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.

He played a great innings in the 1996 world cup to knock South Africa out.

Hardly ever hear it get talked about.

 

[crownie]

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.

this sums up my thoughts on the best 3 batsman i have seen since the mid 90's.

Lara is a perfect example of why 'technique' at the batting crease is overrated, it annoys me at the local level the amount of time that gets wasted on trying to change junior cricketers technique, you will make more runs feeling comfortable with a back lift hanging out to point/gully then being stiff at the crease being uncomfortable.

Of course some of it is just natural talent that Lara was blessed with.

 

[Scotland]

Being (just about) 22 like the OP, I can't say I've seen an awful lot of Lara, either. No doubt he is one of the all time greats, but I do think he's just a tad bit overrated by Aussies because he made it a habit to punish Australia on so many occasions.

Given Australia were dominant from the mid 90s onwards isn't that high praise?

Lara is a bit of an anti-Murali.

 

[Oaktree]

He played a great innings in the 1996 world cup to knock South Africa out.

Hardly ever hear it get talked about.

Yeah, that was a massive knock.

Plus, that innings came after the Windies were bowled out for 93 against Kenya and were pretty much the laughing stock of the cricket world.

So it was another back to the wall type innings.

 

[Oaktree]

To add to Lara's legend is the fact he stood up many times down under in ODI's.

My favourite would be his 90 he scored at the WACA in 1996/97 when along with Robert Samuels, brought the Windies from back from nowhere to win the game.

The other that sticks out was his 116 not out in the rain affected game in 2000/01 when he farmed the strike and destroyed Warney. Would have been great if the game wasn't stopped short by the rain.

 

[STFU Donnie]

Kallis is a strange one. Almost nobody would rank him as the best of that era, above Lara, Tendulkar, etc. Yet he averaged 55 with the bat while also averaging 33 with the ball in Test cricket. That's basically a batting career on par with the greatest of the time, plus a very respectable bowling average as well.

I always wondered why he was so under-rated.

Kallis was undoubtedly a great cricketer. But can you cite one example where he took a game by the scruff of the neck? I can't. The constant criticism during his career was that he was all too often a plodder, especially given his extraordinary talent. A great cricketer, but rightly left out of this discussion.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Being (just about) 22 like the OP, I can't say I've seen an awful lot of Lara, either. No doubt he is one of the all time greats, but I do think he's just a tad bit overrated by Aussies because he made it a habit to punish Australia on so many occasions.

Huh?

 

[Hellgood]

Kallis was undoubtedly a great cricketer. But can you cite one example where he took a game by the scruff of the neck? I can't. The constant criticism during his career was that he was all too often a plodder, especially given his extraordinary talent. A great cricketer, but rightly left out of this discussion.

This is one argument I don't like.

You'll rarely notice Kallis taking a game by the scruff of the neck and singlehandedly winning it. But god knows how many he quietly set up them in an impregnable position with solid batting and frequent wicket taking putting the game in a position where a so called 'flashpoint' would not be required.

 

[Willo_]

Being (just about) 22 like the OP, I can't say I've seen an awful lot of Lara, either. No doubt he is one of the all time greats, but I do think he's just a tad bit overrated by Aussies because he made it a habit to punish Australia on so many occasions.

So you are happy to say he is a bit overrated despite barely seeing him?

There is no over rating here...Lara was an out and out gun

 

[Tassieboy]

Kallis is a strange one. Almost nobody would rank him as the best of that era, above Lara, Tendulkar, etc. Yet he averaged 55 with the bat while also averaging 33 with the ball in Test cricket. That's basically a batting career on par with the greatest of the time, plus a very respectable bowling average as well.

I always wondered why he was so under-rated.

Kallis is a strange one. Great batsmen, but played some very strange innings before the last 5 years of his career. Often when South Africa would be pushing for a declaration or chasing a target he'd just hang around achieving very little. Really opened up late in his career, though. His last peculiar innings I can recall was against us in the 2007 World Cup.

 

[STFU Donnie]

This is one argument I don't like.

You'll rarely notice Kallis taking a game by the scruff of the neck and singlehandedly winning it. But god knows how many he quietly set up them in an impregnable position with solid batting and frequent wicket taking putting the game in a position where a so called 'flashpoint' would not be required.

You'll notice that twice I called him a great player! Just not quite up there with the greatest.

 

[Willo_]

Kallis is a strange one. Great batsmen, but played some very strange innings before the last 5 years of his career. Often when South Africa would be pushing for a declaration or chasing a target he'd just hang around achieving very little. Really opened up late in his career, though. His last peculiar innings I can recall was against us in the 2007 World Cup.

He often looked like he was more concerned about his average than the state of the game IMO

More so in the time frame you mentioned

 

[The Casey Cat]

Kallis is a strange one. Great batsmen, but played some very strange innings before the last 5 years of his career. Often when South Africa would be pushing for a declaration or chasing a target he'd just hang around achieving very little. Really opened up late in his career, though. His last peculiar innings I can recall was against us in the 2007 World Cup.

Yep made 43 off 58. They were chasing 370 odd.

 

[Spitta Andretti]

So you are happy to say he is a bit overrated despite barely seeing him?

There is no over rating here...Lara was an out and out gun

What I mean is that some consider him to be unequivocally the best batsman of the post-90s era, like there's daylight between him and Sachin and Ponting. I disagree with that. Does that not constitute being slightly overrated?

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

What I mean is that some consider him to be unequivocally the best batsman of the post-90s era, like there's daylight between him and Sachin and Ponting. I disagree with that. Does that not constitute being slightly overrated?

You disagree .... based on what?

 

[Willo_]

What I mean is that some consider him to be unequivocally the best batsman of the post-90s era, like there's daylight between him and Sachin and Ponting. I disagree with that. Does that not constitute being slightly overrated?

Well that isn't how you said it though.

 

[TheGreatBarryB]

Used to love it when the Windies toured Australia, some great players but no one fascinated me more than Viv Richards. Still think he had one of the best stances ever, just look so well balanced either on the front or back foot.

Batting looked so easy, chewing his gum, not even a thought of wearing a helmet when everyone else was. Didn't see him as much as Lara but you watch some of his videos and he was just all class.

Lara was great but rate Richards above him.

 

[Hellgood]

Being (just about) 22 like the OP, I can't say I've seen an awful lot of Lara, either. No doubt he is one of the all time greats, but I do think he's just a tad bit overrated by Aussies because he made it a habit to punish Australia on so many occasions.

Same age as you, but I still vivdly remember two innings' of his in Adelaide - against us in the 2005 test and belting a savage 160 odd not out against the Pakistani's in the tri-series.



Didn't have Foxtel as a young kid, but on one trip was excited to find that the hotel we stayed at did so got to see his ton against South Africa when everyone else was crumbling around him (the same innings he smashed 28 off Peterson IIRC). Couple of years later there was a double ton against the Pakistani spinners on their home turf which was mesmerising as well.

 

[PAFC_1870]

Same age as you, but I still vivdly remember two innings' of his in Adelaide - against us in the 2005 test and belting a savage 160 odd not out against the Pakistani's in the tri-series.



Didn't have Foxtel as a young kid, but on one trip was excited to find that the hotel we stayed at did so got to see his ton against South Africa when everyone else was crumbling around him (the same innings he smashed 28 off Peterson IIRC). Couple of years later there was a double ton against the Pakistani spinners on their home turf which was mesmerising as well.

Huge thanks for this video, an innings I didn't get to see being in SA, enjoyed listening to it on the radio, and saw a few highlights, was one of my more memorable moments of him.

 

[Spitta Andretti]

You disagree .... based on what?

Based on having seen a lot of Sachin and being very skeptical anybody could be much better than him. Even slightly better is a hard sell. Bear in mind I am only talking about post-90s players. So I can't believe that Lara was miles better than him just because he flayed Australia on a number of occasions, whereas Sachin scored hundreds against Australia in a less destructive manner and didn't get too many double tons. Mind, he was plenty destructive against Australia in ODI cricket, far more so than Lara. Think of the Sharjah hundreds and the 175 in a failed chase of 350.

Ponting too, I disagree when people say Lara was much better.

If pounding Australia is the barometer of success then VVS Laxman is the best batsman of his time, Flintoff the best all rounder and Swann the best spinner. It's just a ridiculous way to assess who's the greatest. I'm not saying anybody here rates Lara just because of that, this idea that Lara is the best by daylight comes from other Australian websites and is an opinion informed solely by Lara's performance against Australia.