Beleaguered and embattled West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara delivered a shock knock to his fans and detractors alike, announcing yesterday that he intends to leave the field at the end of the World Cup game against England tomorrow.
By Andy JohnsonAt the end of the post-match news conference at Kensington Oval, following the West Indies win over Bangladesh, Lara said it was something he had given serious thought to.
"I want to say that on Saturday I'm bidding farewell to international cricket as a player. I have already spoken with the board and I want to thank everyone for that," he said, bringing an end to the news conference.
He got up and left the room, in the company of Imran Khan, the West Indies team media manager who had conducted the news conference.
Earlier in the news conference he refused to respond to a question as to whether he had gotten all the support he felt was necessary during his three terms as West Indies captain.
"Now is not the time for that kind of criticism," he said. That is done. It's spilt milk now and we have to move on," he said, adding that what was important was for the team to concentrate on the upcoming tour to England at the end of this World Cup tournament.
He had earlier referred to this tour, saying that the game against England tomorrow in the World Cup was crucial for the West Indies on that basis.
He refused, more than once, to say whether or not he would be part of that team.
"We will decide that," he said in response to one question on it, clearly leaving his dramatic announcement for the end.
Lara had also earlier paid tribute to the West Indies fans whom he said went to yesterday's game against Bangladesh, knowing that the team was not going to go further in the tournament.
"It was an encouraging feeling to see the fans and to feel their positive emotions yesterday," he said, adding that he hoped some of them would travel to England to support the team during that tour. In demonstrating some of the pressure he has been under, certainly during the course of the World Cup campaign, Lara said he had been "knocked down so many times in the past".
Each time, he was able to pick himself up and move on, crediting this "strength" to the upbringing he received from his parents.
It has been a familiar theme of his, to draw on that upbringing in moments of crisis and difficulty he said he has faced.
Also at yesterday's post-match news conference, man-of-the-match, Ramnaresh Sarwan, maintained his position that he was willing to accept the captaincy of the West Indies team if given the chance.
He said he made the point again yesterday, adding that no one from the WICB had said anything to him about it in recent days.
There have been increasingly strident calls in the regional media and the public for Lara to be replaced as captain of the team, in light of the team's poor performance in the tournament.
In a strong defence of Lara in particular and the team in general, WICB president Ken Gordon said in an interview with the Express in Grenada last week that such attacks and criticisms were "palpably unfair" and ill-timed.
Brian Lara, now 37, holds a string of world records in international cricket at the test and the first class level. These include the world record for most runs in a test match, which he broke twice.
In 1994 he broke a 27-year-old record held by Barbadian all rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, with a knock of 375.
The following year he scored 501 runs in a first class game in England to establish that record and he scored 400 runs not out in 2004 to re-establish the record in test cricket.
