Brian Lara
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC:
WEST INDIES captain Brian Lara says he prefers traditional Test cricket over the new Twenty20 form of the game which is growing in popularity.
"Test cricket is my game. It is a game I really love to play. Before being asked to captain the team for the third time, I tried to guide my career in the direction of playing more Test cricket and less one-day games," the Press Trust of India quoted Lara as saying.
"I don't think it (Twenty20) tests the ability of players like Tests do. But it is good for the crowd. You are playing a
sport, and sport is all about
spectators."
Lara opted out of selection for the Trinidad & Tobago team for the ongoing Stanford 20/20
tournament.
According to reports, the batting star is currently in Dubai to appear on the Chevrolet Cricket Show.
GAME CONTAINS INTEREST
Lara, Test cricket's leading run-scorer with 11,505 runs from 128 Tests, also said the traditional form of the game still contained interest, but outright results were a priority.
"It is necessary to produce results in Tests to keep interest in the game alive," the 37-year-old said.
Commenting on the issue of player burnout, Lara said while several other cricketing nations was faced with the problem, he was comfortable with the West Indies Cricket Board's itinerary.
"It may be true in the case of big cricketing nations. They are playing between themselves more often. A lot of factors are involved in it, like crowd, big money, television rights. I am fine with the sort of itinerary and fixtures we have," he said.
