By IANS,
Port of Spain : Legendary West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara who bid adieu to international cricket last year amidst speculations of being left out by selectors from the England tour, has said that he left on his own terms.
“I left on my own volition. I’ve enjoyed playing (cricket) for the West Indies and I just thought it was time the West Indies team move on under a new leader,” Lara said at a function hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) Sunday night.
“Records don’t mean anything to me. (I had) one more match to 300, forty something more runs to 12,000. Tendulkar was just around the corner in hundreds. I was lucky to have achieved so much individually and very unlucky not to achieve much as a team,” he added.
Lara also said that he was elated to get a chance to contribute to the West Indies cricket for 17 years. “I created hope when there was none. I tried my best to teach all the young players.”
“Of course, I would have loved to walk on a cricket field with Sir Garfield Sobers or behind Clive Lloyd or Sir Frank Worrell, but I believe my period was the 1990s,” he said.
According to Lara the tour of South Africa in 1998, where West Indies lost all five Tests, has been “the lowest point” in his career.
“The South Africa tour in 1998 was definitely my lowest period and something that I regret. I feel that both parties could have handled it a lot better,” he said.
Lara regretted his poor performances as West Indies captain but in the same vein lauded the current team for their recent Test win and subsequent One-Day series over Sri Lanka at the Queen’s Park Oval here.
“It is important to congratulate the West Indies on their wonderful performance. I think the win at Trinidad was special.”