LARA
KINGSTON, CMC:
WEST INDIES cricket sponsor Digicel says it is "excited" over batting star Brian Lara's run toward the world record aggregate in Test runs as he gets ready to tackle the formidable world champions Australia next month.
Already the holder of two batting world records, the highest individual Test score of 400 not out and the top first-class score of 501 not out, Lara is only 315 runs behind the all-time record individual aggregate of 11,174 runs by Australian Allan Border. In a press release on Tuesday, Digicel said it was "excited at the prospect of legendary batsman Brian Lara closing in and cap
turing another world record". When the West Indies begin their three-Test series against Australia on November 3 in Brisbane, Lara will by trying to build on his current aggregate of 10,859 runs, which has him third on the all-time list behind the former Australian captains Border and Steve Waugh (10,927).
"There is a chance he (Lara) will be crowned the world's highest ever Test run scorer in Border's country," the Digicel release stated.
SEEING OFF THE PLAYERS
Digicel representatives were at both the Norman Manley and Grantley Adams International airports in Barbados and Jamaica respectively Monday, to see off the Windies players departing for London before travelling on to Australia.
With a full strength team comprising of a talented mix of experience and youth, Digicel, principal sponsor of the West Indies team, says it is looking forward to captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul's men returning home from Australia triumphantly.
"It's going to be a tough and exciting tour in Australia, they (the Australians) are still the team to beat but as England showed there are chinks in their armour," commented Ben Atherton, group marketing director at Digicel.
"We are delighted that everyone is available for this series. There is a buzz of excitement and anticipation around this tour that will hopefully see Windies cricket making headlines as the team celebrate success. Digicel supports them every step of the way and we have put measures in place to help the team stay in touch with friends and family at home as well as benefit from team dinners and have some fun on rest days" Atherton added.
Several key players missed the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka this past summer because of a players' contract dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
LEADING TEST RUNSCORERS
Allan Border (Aus) 11,174 (156 Tests)
Steve Waugh (Aus) 10,927 (168)
Brian Lara (WI) 10,859 (118)
Sachin Tendulkar (Ind) 10,134 (123)
Sunil Gavaskar (Ind) 10,122 (125)
Star WI bat soars to No 2 in rankings
LONDON, England, CMC:
IN SPITE of his failure to score heavily in the weekend's ICC Super Series Test match, West Indies batsman Brian Lara climbed one place up to No. 2 in the ICC world batting ratings this week.
Lara had scores of five and 36 in the World XI's crushing loss to Australia in Sydney, but moved up to be joint No. 2 with Australian Ricky Ponting, who jumped three places on the world list after scores of 46 and 54 in helping Australia win the "Super Test" by 210 runs.
South African Jacques Kallis retains the top spot in world batting and West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul remains steady at seventh.
AMONG THE BOWLERS
The only other West Indian in the top-30 of the batting list is Chris Gayle at 26th. Among the bowlers, Glenn McGrath stays at No. 1 ahead of his Australian teammate Shane Warne, with Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan at three.
There are only two West Indians in the bowling top-30, the Barbadian pacers Pedro Collins (25th) and Corey Collymore (30th).
