Bengaluru: Brian Lara scripted poetic knocks on cricket pitches before he retired from international cricket. Nowadays, he is trying to be lyrical on green fields, wielding a golf club.
The great West Indian is not hesitant to get a tip or two to get the swing right, from a fashionable and extremely pretty Ridhima Dilawari. And he took a hit with Ridhima throwing a wow at him.
More than the hit, what excited the motley mediapersons was he did it with his right hand, a scene from the usual when he batted left all his life as a batsman. And not surprisingly he gave the same reply which he gave to this news agent on his first visit out of the two at the Prestige Golfshire course in the outskirts of the Silicon Valley of India.
Then he had said that he played golf right-handed so that his left-handed batting is not affected.
Replying to a question on the difference in wielding a bat and a golf club, Lara said, "It is two different techniques. In cricket, one is reacting to a ball and trying to play straight. In golf, you have to use your head and your hands, It's a bit different."
As the conversation shifted to West Indies cricket, Kapil Dev who was seated to his left was very much keen to listen to Lara.
Once he finished with his answer, Kapil chipped in, wishing for the West Indies comeback. According to him, they are a very colourful team and missing them in the World Cup is like missing Tiger Woods from golf championships.
"I wish, they come back. The West Indies are a very colourful team. This time, they did not play in the World Cup. I know how many people felt sorry about that. It is like - if Tiger Wood is not playing, half of the crowd goes missing.
"And, that's what the charm of the West Indies has. When they come in, they come with a lot of respect, and a lot of ability, and when they are not playing, we start missing something," he told UNI in an interaction here on Sunday.
Joining the issue, Lara said neither the West Indies have done a good job on getting good administration onboard, nor wooing people to take up cricket, who see the sport not getting them good money. Hence, they drift towards franchise cricket where the money is, he said.
Asked about the disadvantages of having foreign coaches, Lara said, "Yes we have dabbled with foreign coaches, but we have also included a lot of our former regional players, selectors and some are working in different areas. So, we are coming around in terms of including our players from the past." (UNI)
