Brian Charles Lara
Known as the "Prince", he was stylish and elegant, mentally tough and attacking.
These aren’t just any random sobriquets of respect adorning their subject but real virtues which make Brian Lara a standout character in modern day cricket. Lara will forever be remembered as one of the greatest batsmen of the modern era, bracketed alongside the elite company of Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis.
Lara's wizardry and sheer style though would trump any batsman including the aforementioned troika. Another attribute that set him up as a cut above the rest was his voracious appetite for big, massive scores. Armed with a high backlift, generating that typical Caribbean flourish, Lara was equally efficient against spin and pace. Ask Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath and the rest of their breed.
The holder of the highest individual test score(400 not out) and the highest first class score(501) made by an individual in first-class cricket, Lara is a word that concocts ecstasy and pain, speaks of redemption and comeback and, spells jubilation wherever he’s remembered.
Stats:
Matches: 131
Innings: 232
Runs: 11953
Average: 52.88
Highest Score: 400*
50s/100s: 48/34