The Personal Side of Brian Lara

You may not believe it but Brian Lara cries! He hurts. And if you cut him, you most certainly will get blood.

If that doesn't surprise you, guess what? He's human! Don't doubt me! I saw him evolve from an angry, depressed man into a manageable and focussed individual, intent on silencing his detractors, in the space of three days. That he did so, is now history.

But just a few days after the second Test here in Trinidad, Brian looked like a man ready to pack up, throw in the towel and call it a day. Scores of 23, 0, 0, 8 and two defeats from an English team, without a series win in the Caribbean in 36 years, were cutting sharply into his emotions.

Calls for his resignation as captain dug deeply into his psyche and if you were close to him, you could sense the pain. "Right now, the way I feeling, I not even sure that I playing in Barbados (third Test)," was how he reacted angrily to me when I suggested that he needed a long innings and should play for Queen's Park in the National Cricket League on the weekend.

We were in the Queen's Park Oval to do a television ad, just four days after the second Test here in Trinidad -- a game which West Indies lost by seven wickets. Sprawled out on a bench in the dressing room in the Oval pavilion, Lara's next few words were frightening. "You know how I feeling? You really want me to put on clothes and go on a cricket field. I don't even want to see cricket gear right now. As a matter of fact, I hope I don't have to put on no cricket gear to do this ad," he spouted.

He was professional enough to change his mind and get into gear by the time the cameras and microphones were set up, but he was clearly unimpressed by the script that was prepared.

"Hi, I am teaming up with TSTT and the G-Size Guardian to bring you special coverage of the day's play between England and the West Indies." He didn?t like it. "Right now I not feeling to team up with anybody," he noted and explained that he didn't think the script reflected what he wanted to say to television viewers at that particular time.

We toyed around with a number of lines before he decided on the following: "The third and fourth Test matches have now become the most critical of my career, and TSTT and the Guardian will be teaming up with me to bring you special coverage."

Those words "critical of my career" stuck in my mind. We spent the next hour or so filming.

In between the breaks, Lara found time to chat with former youth captain Nicholas Gomez before returning to ask whether I would be prepared to assist in "Operation Fightback" -- a plan no doubt initiated by Gomez and which appeared to interest Lara.

By the time we had completed filming the ad, I told him that I would be on radio that evening to discuss the state of West Indies cricket. "Well, you know I would not be listening," he stated.

I left Lara that Thursday at around noon, but reminded him that I would be picking him up the following morning (Friday) for the "Walk against Crime" around the savannah with the school children from Port of Spain and Environs.

When I got up to his mansion the following morning, he was in a much better mood, cheerful and chirpy. It almost seemed like the occasion meant more to him that going out to bat at Lord's. He was curious about the radio programme and when he learnt that most of the callers were in his corner, he seemed pleasantly surprised and that added to his mood.

The schoolchildren in the savannah were obviously delighted to see him and from the moment he alighted from the car, he began to shake hands, pat on the head and pose for photos with the delighted kids, their parents and teachers.

He was taken to the head of the line where he was met by Education Minister Hazel Manning, and a number of other dignataries and they opened the flag to signal the start of the walk.

As usual, the captain led.

But after about half an hour, Lara turned to me and said: "I not here to walk with no Minister and dignitary. I am here for the children. Come and let us walk through the children."

For the next 90 minutes, Lara left the front of the line and walked past 11,000 children who all wanted to touch him and wish him well.

"Lara, we love you."

"Brian, make another century this week."

"Look Lara coming, look Lara."

"Hello Brian, I could get a picture with you."

Brian was at ease, chatting with the kids and it was almost as if the burden of West Indies captaincy and the team's deficiencies were being lifted from his shoulders as he walked though the children. He made a special effort to talk with the underpriviliged kids and those in wheelchairs. And their responses to him seemed to have lifted his own spirit.

Having reached the end of the line, he decided that he wanted to walk through the savannah where a private school was having a sports meet opposite Whitehall.

Once they recognised him, the parents and children closed in, again demanding photos and autographs or just sharing a hug. That lasted another 45 minutes before the broiling sun got the better of him.

"Time for a snocone, you have money?" he asked. I didn't!

But once we reached the snocone cart and was recognised, he got the snocone without having to pay. "But I want a hundred in Barbados, if not, I coming up the hill for my $4," the vendor promised. Lara smiled. I hadn't seen one like that for some time.

I lost Brian as we made our way to the front of the line. He was stopped for various media interviews.

I completed the walk and wondered where he disappeared. Some time later that day, Brian called on my phone to tell me that he was heading to the Oval to practise. I couldn?t believe it! Just 24 hours earlier, he did not want to have anything to do with cricket but here he was, going to the Oval to bat against a bowling machine so that he could deal with Harmison and Hoggard.

The transformation was in progress.

Saturday at around noon, Brian called and wanted to find out what I was doing. "Nothing important," I responded. "Well come up by me for lunch, I just ordered some 'buss-up shot' and curry goat."

I accepted the invitation and we spent some time on his column for Sunday's Guardian before sitting down to eat. We talked cricket, looked at some of the Carib Cup final between Barbados and Jamaica and ate. He ate heartily -- good solid appetite, rolling off the 'buss-up shot' and digging his fingers into the curry duck, channa and potato and pumpkin, like a true Trini.

Half an hour later, he was ready to go. "Where to?" I asked. "Why you want to know my business?" he produced that winning smile. "Because you should take a rest and head back to the Oval for a net session with the bowling machine again," I suggested.

"Nah, where I going, I won't need a bowling machine," he said. The helmet went on, he jumped on his motor-bike and the engine roared! He was off!

400 runs and history could hardly have been on his mind, even then!

* This was first published in a Trinidad Guardian Special entitled 'Lara 400 - a tribute to greatness'.