Brian Lara ended his Test career with an average of 53.17. But from the time of the West Indies’ tour of India in late 1994 to the South African visit that ended in February 1999 he averaged just over 44 runs per innings in Tests. For most other players this would have been a respectable run. The Trinidadian was no ordinary player, however, and that period of his career was one of underachievement.
Setting a field to Lara while in full stride was a perfunctory exercise that captains engaged in simply to fulfill their role, since there was scarcely any hope of containing him. He, more than any other player of his time, had the ability to make fielding a pointless profession.
It is difficult to imagine any batsman possessing a wider range of strokes, and the amplified backlift indicated a fondness for playing them. His degree of precision was such that it is only a mild exaggeration to say he could hit any patch of grass he aimed for, and sometimes gave the impression that he could hit any delivery to the boundary.
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