One of the greatest cricketers of all time, Brain Lara will celebrate his 51st birthday today (May 2, 2020). Simply known as ‘The Prince’ for his stylish stroke play, Lara is the only player from the West Indies to score more than 10,000 runs in both ODI and Test cricket. He brought a smile on the faces of millions around the world with his game and mere statistics could not judge his impact. So on Lara’s birthday, we take a look at some of the lesser-known facts about him. Shahid Afridi Says 'Had No Confidence Bowling to Brian Lara, His Footwork Was Brilliant'.

Born in Santa Cruz, Trinidad and Tobago, Lara was one of the eleven children of Bunty and Pearl Lara. The cricketer made his ODI and Test debuts for West Indies against Pakistan in 1990 and in a career spanning over 17 years established himself as one of the greats the game has ever seen. Lara holds some of the biggest records in cricket and it will be challenging for anyone to surpass them in the times to come.

Lesser-Known Facts About Brian Lara

  • Brian Lara was 10th of 11 children of Bunty and Pearl Lara.

  • At age 14, Brian Lara scored 745 runs in schoolboys’ league with an average of 126.16 per innings.

  • At age 20, Lara became the youngest captain in Trinidad and Tobago history, leading them to victory in Geddes Grant Shield.

  • Lara holds the record for highest individual score in first-class cricket. He scored 501 vs Durham in 1994.

  • Lara scored 400 not out vs England in 2004, which to this day remains the highest individual score in Test cricket.

  • Lara has two daughters Sydney and Tara, whom he fathered with Trinidadian journalist Leasel Rovedas.

  • He named his first daughter Sydney, after scoring 277 vs Australia at SCG in 1993, which was also his maiden Test century.

  • Lara has scored 11,953 Test runs and 10,405 ODI runs.

  • Brian Lara was named in ICC’s Hall of Fame in January 2012.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 02, 2020 10:00 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).