Legendary batsman Brian Lara returns to West Indies cricket

Legendary batsman Brian Lara has returned to West Indies cricket.

Cricket West Indies (CWI), on Thursday, announced that the former maroon captain and world record holder Lara, has agreed to assist CWI as a performance mentor – working across all international teams and with input into the West Indies Academy.

Lara’s new role will be to support the various head coaches in providing players with tactical advice and improving their game sense, as well as working closely with CWI’s director of cricket Jimmy Adams – a former teammate of Lara – on ICC World Cup Tournament strategic planning.

West Indies’ Test team are currently under the guidance of interim coach Andre Coley, who serves in this role for the squad’s tour of southern Africa, which includes two Test matches against Zimbabwe in February and an all-format tour of South Africa, from February 21 to March 28.

On his appointment, Lara said, “Having spent time with the players and coaches in Australia and in discussions with CWI, I really believe that I can help the players with their mental approach to the game and with their tactics to be more successful.

“I'm looking forward to joining the group in Zimbabwe and the opportunity to work with other West Indies teams later in the year.”

Lara was also recently part of a three-member panel, formed by CWI, to undertake a comprehensive review of the senior team’s first-round World Cup exit from the T20 World Cup last year.

Together, he and Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court judge Justice Patrick Thompson Jr and South African coach Mickey Arthur put forward 34 detailed recommendations to be implemented, for the betterment of West Indies cricket, over the short, medium and long term.

Adams said, “I am really looking forward to Brian making a significant contribution to our cricket system by providing invaluable guidance and advice to our players and coaches.

“We are confident that Brian will help to improve our high-performance mindset and strategic culture that will bring us more success on the field across all formats. Everyone is excited to have Brian involved in supporting our players.”

Lara’s first assignment will be with the West Indies Test squad. He has joined the Test squad in Zimbabwe where he will assist in the team’s preparations ahead of the first Test match in Bulawayo on February 4.