Lara to end ODI career after World Cup

Mumbai, May 24, 2006(PTI)

Caribbean legend Brian Lara will bring an end to his one-day international career at the World Cup to be staged on Caribbean soil next year.

The 37-year-old batsman said that the last two matches of the ongoing one-day series against India in Trinidad would be his last in front of his home crowd, signalling that he was likely to bring the curtain down on an illustrious career in the shorter version of the game.

"I hope I am not speaking out of turn but I do feel that the final two games in Trinidad will be the final ones in front of my home. There is nothing (at home) in the World Cup," Lara said after his team beat India by four wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match rubber.

This would make the two matches at Port of Spain a special occasion for the 'Prince of Trinidad', who has compiled 9,551 runs in 267 ODIs at an average of 41.16. He has scored 19 hundreds and 58 fifties in his ODI career so far.

Prior to being appointed West Indies skipper for the third time, Lara had largely stayed away from one-dayers in the last few years, concentrating mainly on Test cricket, in which he is the all-time highest run-scorer.

But the leadership responsibility brought him back to the shorter version of the game in which he seems to be now plotting a Caribbean revival.

The 1995 Wisden Cricketer of the Year may continue to showcase his enormous talents in Test cricket beyond the World Cup. He has amassed 11,294 runs in 124 Tests at 53.02 with 31 hundreds and 47 fifties. He has the highest individual Test score of 400 not out to go with the highest first class score of 501 not out.

© PTI

What a great player he has been, he will retire with Inzamam I think. He might show one great knock in the W/C I hope for WI.

Has served Windies superbly over the years, I'll be sad to see him go.

He truly is a genius.

He has been a great servant to WI cricket and he will be missed when he retires. I hope i get to see one great knock from him before he does.

great player, !!!! The whole world would miss him... så better enjoy any sight of Lara in odi cricket.... I think he soon will restire in test cricket.>!

About time.

He has been an excellent batsmen over the years

We could see some of Lara's best in the WC. Everyone else beware!!

Sad to see one of the batting greats retire after the world cup, he has served the Windies very well, that knock in barbados 99 was memrable for any fan, I will never forget that, I hope he scores one brilliant knock before he retires.

and boy will the game of cricket be at a loss when the great man retires from one day cricket.

A player who I always enjoy watch batting, a player whose bat seems like a magic wand in his hand. A player who has made the greatest bowlers in the world look like club cricketers.

To call this man a genius is an understatement.

The finest player since Sir Viv.

In flow hes been the best batsmen ive ever seen play, even at age of 37 he looks awesome in full flow.

the true batting king. showed is today again and wins one of the last matches for his team

the greatest ever bastamn in my opinion.

I want him to retire after achieving 2 records, winning the 2007 and scoring 500 in a inning.

He will be missed by the whole world.

hello.-..
we want Pakistan to win the world cup, where he will score 100 runs in the finale wc 07

Thanks for the memories.
I do hope he stays on in Test cricket a bit longer though

Hes already scored a 501*

We will miss him a lot.

thats first class. i am talking about real test cricket.

Yaar I want him to keep playing test cricket. He is the only reason I watch test cricket. Its going to be a sad day when he retires.