A Tribute

Did I entertain you ? He asked. And the audience responded with a resounding yes. The prince of Caribbean – Brian Charles Lara, one of the foremost epic batsman opted to hang his boots. His arrival to the international arena was characterized by a weakening West Indies side yet he did hold the mantle all alone by his charismatic batting. This lone ranger was infallible in his day, the issues recuperating with Caribbean cricket, not withstanding. His ravenous appetite for runs and big scores could only be surpassed by him, himself. With his ability to create magical moments, his artistic blend of flurry and defence, his ravishing cover drives, his ballerina footwork, this flight footed gentle giant devastated many a bowling greats on the cricket field. We would miss those magical wave of his wand, he so naturally, so effortlessly made while sending the ball over the fence. We would miss his ‘natraja’ pose while hitting the ball in near impossible gaps over square, his penchant for fighting it out, ‘all- out’, his unprecedented backlift, his artful sweeps, his flirtatious hits behind point, his deft placement, we will miss the artist of a genre above class. In this era of macho hitters, he kept the bastion of classic cricket alive, and we are fortunate to be part of generation that got entertained by this uncrowned prince. What else could be a more fitting tribute than a poster on the field during his last match that read ‘God doesn’t retire, then why does Lara?’