Farewell to Brian Lara

West Indies captain Brian Lara announced his retirement from international cricket on Thursday ending a record-breaking career as a batsman.

Lara, said his last match for West Indies would be Saturday's World Cup match against England at the Kingston Oval.

"I've given this extensive consideration and on Saturday I will be bidding farewell to international cricket as a player," Lara told a news conference after West Indies beat Bangladesh by 99 runs in a Super Eights match on Thursday.

The 37-year-old Trinidadian holds the record for the highest Test score (400 not out) and in the first-class game (501 not out). He amassed highest career run total of 11,953 runs in 131 Tests and 10,387 runs in 298 One-Day Internationals .

Lara is the only man to have broken the record for the highest Test score, lost it and then regained it. His career would have spanned 17 years and produced some of the finest moments in the history of cricket.

Among the records that Lara holds is the one for most Test runs in an over. He made 28 off one Robin Peterson over in South Africa in 2003. He also has the third highest - 26 off one Kaneria over in that final double century of his in Pakistan. With that final double century in Pakistan, Lara joined the exclusive club of 6 men who have scored a century before lunch in a Test match.

He is the West Indies' most capped player in ODIs (299 after his final match) and second in Tests (131, Courtney Walsh played in 132). He holds virtually all the important West Indies batting records.

Before making his surprise announcement Lara had been asked to reflect on how he would like to be remembered as a player.

"I just want to be remembered as someone who went out there and tried to entertain -- it is a sport where people pay to come through the turnstiles and watch you and it is most important that someone can leave and say they have enjoyed watching Brian Lara play and enjoyed watching West Indies play.

"Another thing I am really proud of myself for is that I have been knocked down so many times as a player, as a person, and it is that strength, that I suppose comes from my parents, to be able to pick myself up each time and go out there in the face of adversity.

"That is something that I didn't read in a book or wake up in the morning with, it is deep down and it is a part of my family trait."

Our best wishes are with Brian Lara for all his future endeavor.

Whats on Stake if ...

As all the analyst and big guns are from leading newspaper and news channel are already gave there thought about the loss, if India gets out in first round of World Cup 2007. They also mentioned that Advertising and Media industry will lose lots of money(in crores). Apart from this losses, the other effects it will bring us are:

• It may lead to loss of Mandira's charm. (Definitely we don't want that to happen)
• I read somewhere in newspaper that many Indian couple wont get a good sex life for a couple of week or till World Cup 2007 ends.
• India TV scenarios will be back on track of Saas-Bahu serials leading with K alphabet. (God Save us)
• News channel will have to find/make new breaking news everyday to serve people from India.
• And finally it will waste my share of Rs 250 for cable connection which i shared with six other friends in Pune.

To save us from all this losses only Indian Cricket team can do something today. My best wishes are with India to make a victory against Sri Lanka with a good form and new records and to show our presence in second round.

Jeeto India Jeeto !!!!

A Record Breaking Day

The twelfth match of World Cup 2007 between India and Bermuda was full of records. Here is the list of few broken and/or equaled records:

• India's 413 for 5 against Bermuda broke the record for the highest total in a World Cup match. Before this Sri Lanka had this record from 1996 World Cup to till now with a score of 398 for 5 against Kenya.
• India manage to win by a large margin of 257 runs against Bermuda which broke the previous record of largest margin of Australia's 256-run win against Namibia in the 2003 World Cup.
• India also managed to equal South Africa's recent record for most sixes in an inning by knocking 18 sixes against Bermuda.
• Malachi Jones of Bermuda became the first bowler to take a wicket with his first delivery in a World Cup with Robin Uthappa's wicket.
• Virender Sehwag marked his first century in World Cup matches by scoring 114 off 87 balls against Bernuda. Also he created third fastest century in World Cup by knocking 100 runs in 81 balls.
• Bermuda with five ducks in its innings equaled the record of most ducks in the World Cup matches.
• Ganguly equaled the record of most sixes i.e. 25 sixes in World Cups of Ricky Ponting also playing ten less match then him.

Apart from this records hosts West Indies secured its place in second round of World Cup matches by beating Zimbabwe while Pakistan got the way for early exit.

If you are aware with any more records for the day which is not mentioned here then please add it here using Comment section.