Lara names Warne as the greatest, but admits Murali left him “confused” at the crease
Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan
West Indies batting legend Brian Lara has hailed Shane Warne as the best bowler he ever faced, but also admitted that Muttiah Muralitharan caused him more confusion and pressure during their iconic battles.
Speaking on The Overlap and Betfair’s Stick to Cricket show with Sir Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan, and Phil Tufnell, Lara didn’t hesitate when asked if Warne was among the finest: “He is the best,” he responded instantly.
Yet while Warne earns top billing in Lara’s mind, the Trinidadian maestro was quick to acknowledge the brilliance of Sri Lanka’s spin wizard.
“I’d walk out to bat against Murali, and I’m confused,” Lara admitted. “The first half an hour of Murali, I’d be confused. Murali gave me more pressure than Shane.” Muralidaran is world’s highest wicket taker, finishing with 800 scalps at 22.72.
Lara, who scored over 11,000 Test runs and still holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket (400* vs England in 2004), reflected on what made Warne stand apart:
Brian Lara
“I’d walk out to bat against Shane, the ball would be coming off the middle, every ball, and then about 2pm, 3pm, he just produces this magical delivery, or spell.
And that’s why I rate him higher — because I think he was mentally stronger. And obviously with his bowling attack and the pitches that he bowled on, which favoured the McGraths and other fast bowlers, for him to pick up that amount of wickets, that’s very special.”
Warne, who tragically passed away in 2022 at the age of 52, ended his career with 708 Test wickets, second only to Muralitharan Despite their fierce on-field rivalry, Lara fondly remembered his friendship with the Aussie legend:
“Of course! We had a great time together,” Lara said when asked by David Lloyd whether they got along off the field.