I would put Lara ahead of Tendulkar: David Boon

David Boon sometimes referred to as the ironman of Australia has never held back on his opinions in the past. Especially being a match referee with the ICC for many an international match, Boon has usually charged players with the code of conduct and other such offenses. Therefore, in that capacity, Boon stated that he would pick Brain Lara ahead of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Speaking about players with natural talent, David Boon said that there are barely a few players who rely on their natural talent. In that capacity, Boon went ahead and picked Brian Lara as a much more ‘naturally gifted’ as compared to Sachin Tendulkar. ‘Boonie’, as he is commonly called, also went on to add that it was indeed a harsh one as far as someone like Tendulkar was concerned.

“There are very few absolutely naturally talented players who are successful at the highest level. Most of them have the element of talent, but it is how they play the game and their desire to be as best as they possibly can that makes cricketers successful. If I had to pick one that was the most naturally gifted, that will be Lara.

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“I know that is very harsh on Sachin Tendulkar. I admire him immensely as a player who was successful in all conditions and in all formats. He is someone who worked very hard on his game and became mentally very strong. I wouldn’t put him in that ‘pure naturally gifted package’ but nonetheless, he is one of the best cricketers of the era,” he added.

Speaking about the usage of the pink ball in Test matches, Boon said that he was indeed supportive of the newest aspect of Test cricket.“We need to look at changes to how Tests are played. I am very supportive of day-night Tests with pink balls (if that is the colour to go with). I think this will develop and reinvigorate people’s interest as people can come in after work and watch cricket again.”

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Finally, Boon concluded speaking about his performance in the 1987 World Cup win in Kolkata. “The final at Kolkata was unbelievable. It was the first time I was to Eden Garden in front of 100,000 plus crowd. I think this was the only time the Indians rooted for an Australian side perhaps because they did not like the British from the historical perspective.”