Editing Brian Lara (section)

== Cricket career ==

===Early first-class career===
[[File:Brian Lara (4610977063).jpg|thumb|right|Lara batting for [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club|Warwickshire]] in 1994]]
1987 was a breakthrough year for Lara, when in the West Indies Youth Championships he scored 498 runs breaking the record of 480 by [[Carl Hooper]] set the previous year.<ref>[http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography%5Cbio_BrianLara_captaincy.html ''The Coming Foretold''] [[The Independent]]. Retrieved 30 July 2007. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070811094615/http://www.nalis.gov.tt/Biography%5Cbio_BrianLara_captaincy.html |date=11 August 2007 }}</ref> He captained the tournament-winning [[Trinidad and Tobago national cricket team|Trinidad and Tobago]], who profited from a match-winning 116 from Lara.

In January 1988, Lara made his first-class debut for Trinidad and Tobago in the [[Red Stripe Cup]] against [[Leeward Islands cricket team|Leeward Islands]].<ref name="FC-debut">{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/149734.html |title=Brief but brutal |date=22 January 2008 |access-date=18 April 2020 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref> In his second first-class match he made 92 against a [[Barbados national cricket team|Barbados]] attack containing [[Joel Garner]] and [[Malcolm Marshall]], two greats of [[West Indies cricket team|West Indies]] teams.<ref name="FC-debut"/> Later in the same year, he captained the West Indies team in Australia for the Bicentennial Youth World Cup where the West Indies reached the semi-finals. Later that year, his innings of 182 as captain of the West Indies Under-23s against the [[Indian cricket team in the West Indies in 1988–89|touring Indian team]] further elevated his reputation.

His first selection for the full West Indies team followed in due course, but unfortunately coincided with the death of his father and Lara withdrew from the team. In 1989, he captained a West Indies B Team in [[Zimbabwe]] and scored 145.

In 1990, at the age of 20, Lara became Trinidad and Tobago's youngest-ever captain, leading them that season to victory in the one-day [[Geddes Grant Shield]]. It was also in 1990 that he made his belated Test debut for West Indies against [[Pakistan national cricket team|Pakistan]], scoring 44 and 5. He had made his ODI debut a month earlier against Pakistan, scoring 11.

===International career===
{{see also|List of players who have scored 10,000 or more runs in One Day International cricket}}

In January 1993, Lara scored 277 versus [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in Sydney. This, his maiden Test century in his fifth Test, was the turning point of the series as West Indies won the final two Tests to win the series 2–1. Lara went on to name his daughter Sydney after scoring 277 at the [[Sydney Cricket Ground|SCG]].

Lara holds several world records for high scoring. He has the highest individual score in both [[first-class cricket]] (501 [[not out]] for [[Warwickshire County Cricket Club|Warwickshire]] against [[Durham County Cricket Club|Durham]] in 1994) and Test cricket (400 not out for the West Indies against [[English cricket team|England]] in 2004). Lara amassed his world record 501 in 474 minutes off only 427 balls. He hit 308 in boundaries (10 sixes and 62 fours). His partners were [[Roger Twose]] (115 partnership – 2nd wicket), [[Trevor Penney]] (314 – 3rd), [[Paul Smith (cricketer, born 1964)|Paul Smith]] (51 – 4th) and [[Keith John Piper|Keith Piper]] (322 unbroken – 5th). Earlier in that season Lara scored six centuries in seven innings while playing for Warwickshire.

[[File:BrianLaraUkexpatCropped.jpg|thumb|right|Brian Lara batting for the West Indies against [[India national cricket team|India]] at [[Kensington Oval]], [[Bridgetown]], Barbados, in 2002]]

He is the only man to have reclaimed the Test record score, having scored 375 against England in 1994, a record that stood until [[Matthew Hayden]]'s 380 against [[Zimbabwe national cricket team|Zimbabwe]] in 2003. His 400 not out also made him the second player (after [[Donald Bradman]]) to score two Test triple-centuries, and the second (after [[Bill Ponsford]]) to score two first-class quadruple-centuries. He has scored nine double-centuries in Test cricket, third after Bradman's twelve and [[Kumar Sangakkara]]'s eleven. As a captain, he scored five double-centuries, which is the highest by any one who is in charge. In 1995 Lara in the Test match away series against England, scored 3 centuries in three consecutive Matches which earned him the Man of the Series award. The Test Series was eventually drawn 2–2. He also held the record for the highest total number of runs in a Test career, after overtaking [[Allan Border]] in an innings of 226 played at [[Adelaide Oval]], Australia in November 2005.

Lara captained the West Indies from 1998 to 1999, when West Indies suffered their first whitewash at the hands of [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africa]]. Following this they played [[Australia national cricket team|Australia]] in a four-Test series which was drawn 2–2, with Lara scoring 546 runs including three centuries and one double hundred. In the second Test at [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]] he scored 213 while in the third Test he scored 153* in the second innings as West Indies chased down 311 with one wicket left. He won the Man of the Match award for both matches and was also named Man of the Series.

The [[Wisden 100]] rates Lara's 153 not out against Australia in Bridgetown in 1998–99 as the second-best innings ever after Sir Donald Bradman's 270 against England in Melbourne in 1936–37.

In 2001 Lara was named the Man of the Carlton Series in Australia with an average of 46.50, the highest average by a West Indian in that series, scoring two half centuries and one century, 116 against Australia. That same year Lara amassed 688 runs in the three match away Test series against Sri Lanka making three centuries, and one fifty—including the [[List of cricketers who have scored a double century and a century in the same Test match|double-century and a century]] in the first and second innings of the 3rd Test match at the [[Sinhalese Sports Ground]], equating to 42% of the team's runs in that series. These extraordinary performances led [[Muttiah Muralitharan]] to state that Lara was the most dangerous batsman he had ever bowled to.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/133274.html |title=Murali: 'Lara's still No. 1' |publisher=Content-uk.cricinfo.com |access-date=21 August 2010}}</ref>

Lara was reappointed as captain against the touring Australians in 2003, and struck 110 in his first Test match back in charge, showing a return to stellar performance. Later that season, under his captaincy, West Indies won the two match Test series against Sri Lanka 1–0 with Lara making a double-century in the First Test. In September 2004, West Indies won the [[2004 ICC Champions Trophy]] in England under his captaincy. For his performances in 2004, he was named both in the World Test XI and ODI XI by ICC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/23121796|title=Rahul Dravid is the ICC's player of the year|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref>

In March 2005, Lara declined selection for the West Indies team because of a dispute over his personal [[LIME (telecommunications company)|Cable & Wireless]] sponsorship deal, which clashed with the Cricket Board's main sponsor, [[Digicel]]. Six other players were involved in this dispute, including stars [[Chris Gayle]], [[Ramnaresh Sarwan]] and [[Dwayne Bravo]]. Lara said he declined selection in a stand of solidarity, when these players were dropped because of their sponsorship deals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/westindies/content/story/146390.html |title='I'm ready to play if best team is selected' – Lara |publisher=Content-uk.cricinfo.com |access-date=21 August 2010}}</ref> The issue was resolved after the first Test of the series against the touring [[South Africa national cricket team|South African team]].

Lara returned to the team for the second Test (and scored a huge first innings score of 196), but in the process lost his captaincy indefinitely to the newly appointed [[Shivnarine Chanderpaul]]. In the next Test, against the same opponents, he scored a 176 in the first innings. After a one-day series against South Africa, he scored his first Test century against the visiting Pakistanis in the first Test at [[Kensington Oval]], [[Bridgetown]], Barbados which the West Indies eventually won.

[[File:Brian Lara lap of honour.jpg|thumb|right|Lara during his lap of honour in his final international match, [[2007 Cricket World Cup]]]]
For his performances in 2005, he was named in the [[ICC Test Team of the Year|World Test XI]] by ICC.

On 26 April 2006 Lara was reappointed the captain of the West Indies cricket team for the third time. This followed the resignation of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had been captain for thirteen months—in which the West Indies won just one of the 14 Test matches they had competed. In May 2006, Lara led the West Indies to successful One-Day series victories against Zimbabwe and India. Lara's team played Australia in the finals of the DLF Cup and the ICC Champions Trophy where they finished runners up in both finals.

On 16 December 2006 he became the first player for the West Indies to pass 10,000 One Day International runs,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/Batting/BattingCareerRuns_ODI.asp?Stat=5000|title=HowSTAT! ODI Cricket – Most Career Runs|website=howstat.com}}</ref> and, along with [[Sachin Tendulkar]], one of only two players, at the time, to do so in both forms of the game. On 10 April 2007 Lara confirmed his retirement from one-day cricket post the [[2007 Cricket World Cup]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/other_international/west_indies/6543709.stm "Lara confirms one-day retirement"], ''[[BBC News]]'', 11 April 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.</ref> A few days later he announced that he would in fact be retiring from all international cricket after the tournament.<ref>Brian Gough, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/other_international/west_indies/6574317.stm "Legend Lara to end Windies career"], ''BBC News'', 19 April 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.</ref>

Lara played his final international game on 21 April 2007 in a [[dead rubber]] World Cup game against England. He was run out for 18 after a mix-up with Marlon Samuels; England won the game by 1 wicket. Before the end of this World Cup Glenn McGrath stated that Lara is the greatest batsman that he has ever bowled to.<ref>[http://www.rediff.com/wc2007/2007/apr/28mcgrath.htm "McGrath rates Lara just ahead of Tendulkar"], ''Rediff'', 28 April 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2007.</ref>

===Retirement===
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:1em; width:50%;"
|-
!colspan="7"|'''Lara's results in international matches'''<ref name="Cricinfo">{{cite web|title=Statistics / / BC Lara /One-Day Internationals|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/52337.html?class=1;template=results;type=batting|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=25 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209203410/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/52337.html?class=1%3Btemplate%3Dresults%3Btype%3Dbatting|archive-date=9 December 2013}}</ref>
|-
|&nbsp;||Matches||Won||Lost||Drawn||Tied||No result
|-
|Test<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Test victories |url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=matches;result=1;template=results;type=batting |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140119022911/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=1%3Bfilter%3Dadvanced%3Borderby%3Dmatches%3Bresult%3D1%3Btemplate%3Dresults%3Btype%3Dbatting |archive-date=19 January 2014 }}</ref> ||131||32||63||36||0||–
|-
|ODI<ref>{{cite web |title=List of ODI victories |url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;filter=advanced;orderby=matches;result=1;template=results;type=batting |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=25 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031110547/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/stats/index.html?class=2%3Bfilter%3Dadvanced%3Borderby%3Dmatches%3Bresult%3D1%3Btemplate%3Dresults%3Btype%3Dbatting |archive-date=31 October 2013 }}</ref> ||299||139||144||–||3||13
|}
On 19 April 2007 Lara announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, indicating that the West Indies vs England match on 21 April 2007 would be his last international appearance.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/lara-turns-his-back-on-cricket/2007/04/20/1176697042541.html "Lara cuts his last dash"], ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'', 20 April 2007. Retrieved 29 April 2007.</ref> He was run out after a bad mixup with [[Marlon Samuels]] for 18, as England went on to win the match by one wicket.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/6576083.stm ''West Indies v England''] ''[[BBC News]]''. Retrieved 29 July 2007.</ref>

He announced before the 2007 Cricket World Cup that this would be his last appearance in One Day Internationals. After his last match, in the post-game presentation interview, he asked the fans, "Did I entertain?", to which he received a resounding cheer from the crowd,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/serialisations/article3694486.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517172926/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/serialisations/article3694486.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 May 2008 |title=Genius of Brian Lara hailed by Wisden |newspaper=The Guardian |first=Mike |last=Atherton |date=7 April 2008 |access-date=22 September 2011 |location=London}}</ref> after which he went out and took his 'lap of honour' where he met and shook hands with many of the fans. Lara stated this would be his last appearance in international cricket, he has also indicated his interest in retaining some involvement in the sport.

On 23 July 2007 Lara agreed to sign for the [[Indian Cricket League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/303309.html |title=Lara signs up for new Indian league |publisher=Content-uk.cricinfo.com |access-date=21 August 2010}}</ref> He is the former captain of the Mumbai Champs. He volunteered to play for his home team Trinidad and Tobago during the start of 2008 domestic season, after not playing for them for the previous two years. He made his comeback a memorable one with a match winning hundred over Guyana, followed by a dismissive undefeated half-century in the second innings, scored at over two runs per ball. In the third-round game (Trinidad and Tobago got a bye in the second round).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2008/01/06/sports/spectacu-lara-at-the-oval/|title=Spectacu-Lara at the Oval|date=6 January 2008|publisher=Stabroek News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/carib-beer-series-2007-08-318245/trinidad-tobago-vs-guyana-318260/match-report |title=Lara blitz leads Trinidad to victory |date=8 January 2008 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref>

Lara suffered a fractured arm against the Leeward Islands in St Maarten on 19 January, which kept him out of the ICL season. He nevertheless affirmed his commitment to returning to Twenty20 cricket,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/mcc/content/story/464785.html|title=Brian Lara maintains Twenty20 comeback plans|date=29 June 2010|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=28 June 2010}}</ref> and on 27 June 2010 appeared for the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] match against a touring Pakistan team, scoring 37 from 32 balls.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2010/engine/current/match/462605.html|title=Scorecard: Pakistan tour of England – tour match Marylebone Cricket Club v Pakistanis|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=28 June 2010}}</ref>

In 2012, Lara became involved with the [[Bangladesh Premier League]] team [[Chittagong Kings]] as their brand ambassador.<ref>{{cite news |date=16 October 2012 |title=Lara named brand ambassador of Chittagong Kings |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/Lara-named-brand-ambassador-of-Chittagong-Kings/article12559973.ece |url-access=limited |url-status=live |work=The Hindu |location=Dhaka |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202135512/https://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/Lara-named-brand-ambassador-of-Chittagong-Kings/article12559973.ece |archive-date=2 December 2020 |access-date=2 December 2020}}</ref>

On the occasion of bicentennial anniversary of Lord's ground he played for the team of MCC, under the leadership of Sachin Tendulkar<ref name="insidethegames.biz">{{cite web|date=22 June 2014|title=Lara rolls back the years as Lord's Cricket Ground celebrates 200th anniversary|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1020889/lara-rolls-back-the-years-as-lord-s-cricket-ground-celebrates-200th-anniversary|access-date=6 September 2021|website=www.insidethegames.biz}}</ref> against the Rest of World XI in a 50 over game. He went on to score a half century in an eventual win for the MCC.<ref name="insidethegames.biz"/>

===2010 return===
[[File:Brian Lara, Lord's Bicentenary Anniversary Match (2014) 04.jpg|thumb|Brian Lara bats during a warm-up for the [[Bicentenary Celebration match]] in 2014]]
After negotiations between [[Surrey County Cricket Club|Surrey]] and Lara for the [[2010 Friends Provident t20]] failed to come to anything,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22581137|title=Lara lined up for Surrey comeback |date=16 April 2010 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref> Lara declared that he still wanted to sign a contract to play [[Twenty20]] cricket.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22537230|title=Lara maintains Twenty20 comeback plans |date=26 June 2010 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref> Late in the year he joined [[Southern Rocks]], a Zimbabwean side, to compete in the [[2010–11 Stanbic Bank 20 Series]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22494266|title=Rocks sign Lara, Sidebottom for T20 |date=5 November 2010 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref> On his debut for the Rocks, and his first-ever Twenty20 match,<ref name=ciprof/> he scored a half-century, top-scoring for the Rocks with 65.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22491746|title=Mountaineers, Eagles open with wins |date=13 November 2010 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref> He added 34 runs in his next two innings, but then left the competition, citing "commitments elsewhere".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22490335|title=Lara signs as Zimbabwe 'batting consultant' |date=18 November 2010 |publisher=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=18 April 2020}}</ref>

After expressing his interest to play in the 2011 fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crickblog.com/entry/lara-reiterates-interest-in-making-debut-in-ipl-4/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708203539/http://www.crickblog.com/entry/lara-reiterates-interest-in-making-debut-in-ipl-4/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 July 2011 |title=Lara Reiterates Interest in Making Debut in IPL 4 |author=Sreelata Yellamrazu |publisher=Cric Blog |date=28 June 2010 |access-date=30 December 2010 }}</ref> and despite not having played active cricket for four years, Brian Lara still managed to attract the highest reserve price of $400,000 ahead of the IPL players' auction in early January 2011;<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22485808|title=Lara, Dravid in highest price band for IPL auction
|date=21 December 2010|access-date=18 April 2020|publisher=ESPNcricinfo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/gilchrist-lara-in-top-slot-for-ipl-auctions/20101221.htm|title=Gilchrist, Lara in top bracket for IPL auctions
|date=21 December 2010|access-date=30 December 2010|publisher=rediff SPORTS}}</ref> however, no franchise bought him.

In July 2014, he played for the MCC side in the [[Bicentenary Celebration match]] at [[Lord's]].<ref>{{cite web |title=MCC v Rest of the World – 5 July |url=http://www.lords.org/fixtures/fixtures-and-tickets/mcc-v-rest-of-the-world-5-july/ |work=Lord's |date=5 July 2014 |access-date=5 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140707031308/http://www.lords.org/fixtures/fixtures-and-tickets/mcc-v-rest-of-the-world-5-july/ |archive-date=7 July 2014 }}</ref>

On 18 November 2016, Brian Lara signed with Newcastle C&S D5's side The Bennett Hotel Centurions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/4303773/lara-signs-on-for-d5s/|title=Brian Lara signs for The Bennett Hotel D5's cricket team|author=theherald|date=20 November 2016|access-date=20 March 2017|archive-date=20 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320145016/http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4303773/lara-signs-on-for-d5s/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Coaching===
In December 2021 Brian Lara was appointed as Batting Coach and Strategic Advisor of the [[Sunrisers Hyderabad]] team for the 2022 season of the [[Indian Premier League]].<ref>{{cite web |title=IPL 2022: Brian Lara, Dale Steyn join Sunrisers' support staff; Tom Moody returns as coach |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/ipl-2022-brian-lara-dale-steyn-join-sunrisers-hyderabad-support-staff-tom-moody-returns-as-coach-1294180 |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=23 October 2023 |date=23 December 2021}}</ref>