In a World Cup year, one may not find it too hard to look for a ‘top performer’ or a ‘favourite innings’. But, 2019 hasn't been that kind of a year.
The last 12 months have seen the comebacks of Steve Smith and David Warner from suspensions, it saw Rohit Sharma discover almost a supernatural form that translated even to Test cricket, and it’s also the year of The Ashes.
So, when The Quint caught up with Brian Lara on the sidelines of an event for Usha International in New Delhi, the West Indian's picks for the ‘Best of 2019’ were spread across formats and across teams from different continents.
Cricketer of the Year: Steve Smith
"I think the best cricketer may have to go to Steven Smith from Australia. He performed really well in the Ashes and a little bit in the World Cup as well, so I’ll give him the edge over everyone,” said Lara, picking the former Aussie skipper who has scored 873 runs in 11 innings in Tests and 379 runs in 10 ODI matches since March 2019.
Referring to his comeback after serving a year’s suspension, following the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa last year, Lara said Smith’s form and attitude since making his comeback has been commendable.
“Obviously, he served his time, he understood what he did wrong and he sort of came back mentally stronger. A lot of other sportsmen would not have been able to do so. So, I was pretty proud of the fact that after all the adversities, he was able to come back with a bang. He was, you know, maybe just replaced as the number one batsman in the world by Virat Kohli. But I was pretty proud to see him and the way he performed,” Lara said.
Test Team of the Year
“It’ll have to be Australia. I think the series that Australia has played so far – and the Ashes is always something that is very special, not just for England and Australia but I think the whole world watches on. India is very special, but I give Australia the edge at this time,” he said about Tim Paine’s side, who failed to reach the final of the World Cup but a few weeks later, took home The Ashes after defeating champions England.
Match of the Year
“England vs New Zealand (the World Cup final). I think it’s definitely the match of the year. I must say that I was barracking for New Zealand till the very end. I mean, New Zealand have been one of the teams that have made it to quite a few semi-finals and now, a couple of finals, and haven’t been able to cross the line,” said Lara about the World Cup final that saw a super over, a controversy, big heartbreak for New Zealand, and also resulted in a first-time World Cup winner in England.
“You know, I wanted them to win. Things didn’t align for them, maybe next time. But I think this was their best opportunity. But, a tremendous hand played by Ben Stokes and, you know, they deserved to win at the end of the day. They played really good cricket,” he added.
Team of the Year
“I think the best team of the year has to go to India, simply because they were playing in English conditions and they were also favorites along with England. But their tremendous work, in India and around the world... beating Australia in Australia – I think for me, they have travelled a lot more and a lot better than any other team,” said Lara about Kohli’s India, who beat Australia in a Test series at the very start of the year and then continued on, to reach the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC World Cup and have since been on a winning spree at home, beating teams like South Africa and West Indies.
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