The 38-year-old presented the Captain of the Year award to Australian Ricky Ponting, then was brought over to meet the sparse media corps gathered to cover the function. The first big-name signing of the ICL was, predictably, asked for his views on the parallel league that expects to unleash competitive cricket sometime next month.
“It’s a very good concept,” Lara replied, almost as if waiting for the question. “The most important thing is that the motives behind the ICL are clear and clean. They want to improve the standard of professional domestic cricket. There is room for a lot of players, and that’s good enough for me. I wish the ICL the very best, and I will be there to support them.”
No less than what one would expect of an ICL signee, but when those words emanate from Brian Lara, they hold a whole new meaning. Considering it came even as the ICC top bosses were meeting to discuss, among other things, the potential threat posed by the ICL, the timing was impeccable or terrible, depending on which side of the fence you view it from.
Now retired for some five months, Lara said he didn’t miss the game at all. “I must say I have enjoyed this short period retirement,” he observed. “I have not missed cricket. But I still have tremendous affiliation to the game. I played for the West Indies for 17 years, I enjoyed every moment of it. But it is time to move on. I am proud of my West Indian boys, and I am a little disappointed that Chris Gayle did not figure in the ODI Team of the Year.”
Lara said the Caribbeans were one of the favourites at the Twenty20 World Cup. “The West Indies have suffered at the five-day game for a while now because of attrition. We have improved on that in the one-day game because it is a shorter version, and Twenty20 is even more short. I am not saying it because I am West Indian, but I think we have a true opportunity here to bring home a world trophy again.”