“You could really and truly divide my career in three stages: pre 1995, that period between 95 and early 99, and the remainder of my career. And even if you look at my batting you would see that the first and the third part being very, very good, up there with the best. And then, obviously, the middle period was something that sort of dragged me down.” Those were Brian Lara’s words in an ITV interview some years ago.

Easily one of the best batters the game has seen, the mercurial left-hander averaged 53.17 in Test cricket. Yet, from the time the West Indies toured India in late 1994 to their visit to South Africa that ended in February 1999, he averaged just over 44. That would’ve been quite respectable for any ordinary player. But the Trinidadian was not ordinary. For him, that was a period of underachievement.

Setting a field to the left-hander, while he was in full flight, was a perfunctory exercise captains engaged in simply to fulfil their role. There was scarcely any hope of containing him. He, more than any other player of his time, had the ability to make fielding a futile exercise.

https://garfieldrobinson1.substack.com/p/when-lara-lost-his-way