Published 21:58 IST, June 6th 2020
26 years of 501*: Lara symbolizes record innings as a 'reminder'; says, "We are no less"
Brian Lara on Saturday, shared a clip of when he shattered records and went on to do the unimaginable by scoring 500 in an innings and remaining unbeaten
Following the global unrest against racism triggered by the death of George Floyd, former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara has now come forth with a strong statement. Widely regarded as one of the best players ever, Lara on Saturday, shared a clip of when he shattered records and went on to do the unimaginable by scoring 500 in an innings and remaining unbeaten. On a day marking 26 years of his memorable innings, Lara shared a compilation of his innings and the bowlers he faced recollecting the match.
Lara captioned the video, "We are no less. We are equal. We can do everything they can do and more. #BlackLivesMatter #IStandWithYou"
The former West Indies skipper added that his innings is a reminder of the success 'they' can achieve. On June 6, 1994, Brian Lara became the first man to score 500 runs in a first-class inning. He broke Pakistan legend Hanif Mohammad’s record of 499 as he remained unbeaten on 501 while playing for English county team Warwickshire, against Durham. The record still remains unbroken. Lara also holds the record for the highest individual Test score of 400, which also came against England, yet again in Antigua in 2004.
'We must fight for each other:' Ian Bishop
Meanwhile, former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop joined Sachin Tendulkar in reiterating ICC's stand on racism as he shared the video posted by the apex cricket body. Sharing the clip on Twitter, Bishop said, "We must fight for each other, support each other; listen to each other, love each other; regardless of our origin or what we look like."
Following the death of George Floyd in the United States of America, former West Indies skipper Darren Sammy had demanded the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the cricketing world to take a stand on racism, asking them to break their silence on social injustice on people of his kind. The apex cricket council had responded on Friday by sharing a clip of England's World Cup victory in 2019. Taking to Twitter, ICC shared a clip of Jofra Archer's last delivery to Martin Guptil which resulted in England lifting the prestigious trophy.
"Without diversity, cricket is nothing. Without diversity, you don't get the full picture," ICC captioned the video while adding, "The ICC stands against the racism," at the end of the clip.
Updated 21:58 IST, June 6th 2020