Diplomatic passport for Lara By SHAMMI KOWLESSAR Friday, August 27th 2004

BRIAN LARA BRIAN LARA will give away $100,000 today. The West Indies cricket captain announced yesterday, through brother Richard, that he will be donating the sum of $10,000 each to ten charitable organisations at Veni Mange Restaurant, Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain, during a luncheon from noon. And it will turn out to be an historic day for the reigning Sportsman of the Year, as at 9.30 a.m. Lara will receive a diplomatic passport from acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams at Whitehall, St Clair. Lara's grand gesture is part of his way of celebrating his tremendous accomplishment of reaching 10,000 runs in Test cricket. The left-handed Trinidadian became only the fourth batsman in the history of Test cricket to reach the milestone when he sent Andrew Flintoff's delivery to the boundary on the fourth day of the

England/West Indies Third Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on August 15). The four made his score seven and put him on exactly 10,000, and although he was dismissed without adding another run, Lara was the fastest of the foursome to attain the landmark. He reached it in his 111th Test and during his 195th innings. Ahead of him on the all-time list of Test runs scored are Australians Allan Border (11,174) and Steve Waugh (10,927) and Indian Sunil Gavaskar (10,122). His remarkable personal achievement did not stop England from winning the Test as well as the other three in the series, which ended Sunday, to inflict its first-ever whitewash on the West Indies. Lara's performance as skipper has again been challenged by cricket scribes all over the Caribbean and around the world, as was the case a few months ago in the Caribbean when England were on the verge of a whitewash when they similarly won the first three Tests. On a questionable Test match pitch in Antigua, Lara silenced some of his critics for a while with his bat when he became the only batsman in the history of Test cricket to score a quadruple century. His amazing innings not only reclaimed his record for individual Test score-which he had held for ten years before Australian Matthew Hayden took it for less than a year-but also earned the Windies a draw in the final Test. Lara's record in two stints as captain of a weak Windies squad leaves a lot to be desired but he continues to break record after record with the bat. But the 35-year-old Trinidadian, who has also amassed the highest score (501 not out) in a first class innings, just missed surpassing the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers for most Test centuries by a West Indian batsman during the just-completed series in England. They both remain on 26 after Lara was agonisingly dismissed for 95 on the third day of the Second Test at Edgbaston on Saturday July 31. Both were named last month, along with George Headley, Sir Frank Worrell and Vivian Richards, in the top five West Indian cricketers of the last 75 years. Lara only returned home on Wednesday night from England and yesterday his brother Richard declined to give a clue regarding any of the charities which will benefit from Lara's generosity. He said

"all will be revealed today". Two and a half years ago Lara set up the Pearl and Bunty Lara Foundation-named in honour of his dead parents-to focus on cancer patients, underprivileged children in foster homes throughout the country as well as to provide young aspiring sportsmen and women with counselling, care-giving mentorship and financial assistance to purchase equipment and further develop their talents. New ($100,000) record from Lara By Mark Pouchet Saturday, August 28th 2004

West Indies captain Brian Lara receives his diplomatic passport from acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams at Whitehall yesterday. Photo: ROBERTO CODALLO TEN CHARITABLE organisations received their promised donations yesterday as West Indies captain Brian Lara feted them with a luncheon at the Veni Mange Restaurant on Ariapita Avenue, Port of Spain, yesterday. Through the Pearl and Bunty Foundation, named in honour of Lara's deceased parents two and a half years ago, the Trinidad and Tobago batting star donated $10,000 each to the following charities: the Lupus Society of Trinidad and Tobago, Credo Foundation for Justice, St Michael's School for Boys, Marian House, Mary Care Centre, St Dominic's Children's Home, Cyril Ross Nursery, CRY Foundation, Margaret Kistow's Children's Home and the Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society. In a casual atmosphere at the Ariapita Avenue restaurant, Lara delivered a brief address, explaining the reason for the $100,000 donation. "This whole thing is to celebrate my reaching 10,000 runs in Test cricket," he said, "and I thought this would be a good opportunity to donate to charitable organisations

that have been doing good work." He continued: "This is just a small day in your lives after all that you have done." Earlier in the day, Lara was awarded a diplomatic passport by acting Prime Minister Joan Yuille-Williams at a brief ceremony at Whitehall. Lara was in dignified mode yesterday. Lara's long-time mentor and CEO of FEEL Clive Pantin, however, was in fiery mood. Pantin took a swipe at the media for their criticism of his one-time charge at Fatima, labelling them as too "negative and abusive". "We ourselves, at these charitable organisations, can sympathise with Brian, because we, too, know what it feels like to be seen in a negative light and to be abused," Pantin stated.

SIGN OF CARE Lara, Browne say first-hand view of Ivan's strike traumatic Jermaine Lannaman, Observer staff reporter Friday, October 01, 2004

West Indies captain Brian Lara (right) signs the blouse of a resident of Caribbean Terrace and a victim of Hurricane Ivan, during a tour of the area yesterday. Lara and teammate, wicketkeeper Courtney Browne were in the island for a brief visit after touring Grenada on Tuesday. The two were also scheduled to tour the Cayman Islands yesterday. Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie (centre) looks on. (Photo: Michael Gordon)

There was a sense of despondency on the face of West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara and wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, who after touring Grenada on Wednesday, visited Jamaica yesterday morning to get a first-hand assessment of damages caused by Hurricane Ivan. The two, who met and greeted residents of Caribbean Terrace, Harbour View, one of Kingston's worst-hit areas during the vicious hurricane, were moved by the scenes they saw at the waterfront community yesterday, so much so that they have pledged to continue to do whatever they can do to assist the victims. "It's sad, really sad to see how a hurricane can affect so many peoples lives so quickly, people who have been working and building a future for themselves," said Lara. "I have never experienced it (a hurricane) back home in Trinidad before, and I have no idea what it's all about, but looking at the damages one can just imagine what those people went through," he added. A community on the shoreline, Caribbean Terrace was one of the hardest hit areas in Kingston, which for the most part, escaped serious damages from Ivan. Built very close to sea, houses were either completely destroyed or robbed of their contents and fixtures, and during the hurricane nearly all the homes were flooded. Sea rocks and stones, some of which lined the streets despite the cleaning-up efforts of the KSAC, stood as testimony to the high waves and seas that ravaged the community and hit a huge wall which separated much of the community from the sea.

West Indies captain Brian Lara (second left) receives a warm welcome by residents of Caribbean Terrace, Harbour View yesterday. (Photo: Michael Gordon) "It was bad, real bad. It was good that most of us left before the storm came as it would been deaths, upon deaths," said one resident, who explained he was happy the West Indies cricketers passed through. "I have always been wanting to shake Lara's hands, but to know that they are generally concerned is good," he added. Lara and Browne, who were a part of the West Indies winning ICC Champions' Trophy team, which defeated England in dramatic style last week, said while in Europe they received the news of the effects of Ivan but to witness it first-hand was a different thing.

In Grenada, they said, houses lay flat for miles, people struggled to find a place to rest their head at nights, and the lack of essential services were making life difficult. "Grenada was far more traumatic, it's just amazing what natural disasters can do," said Browne. "But we met with the Prime Minister and citizens and let them know that all the players feel their pain at this time and we continue to do whatever we can to assist them," added Browne, who shared a record ninth-wicket match-winning partnership with countryman Ian Bradshaw. According to Browne, in addition to the US$15,000 that the players made available to the islands affected, a match, including all the West Indies players, was being planned to raise more support. This match, to be held in Barbados at the Three W's Oval, Cave Hill Campus, will be primarily designed to help Grenadian students on Campus at the University. "I received a call yesterday from Professor (Hillary) Beckles and he was trying to organise a match for next week including the West Indies. This is firstly to help the Grenadian students on campus who don't know how they are going to pay their tuition, and help their families. So we are looking to organise that this weekend as some cricketers have been contacted and the responses have all been favourable. "Also, Joel Garner, he too is thinking about organising a past versus present West Indies team match to raise funds for the islands affected. So the cricketers are really coming out and we are willing to put out the effort to do whatever it takes," Browne explained. Shortly after the visit Browne and Lara left for the Cayman Islands, the other Caribbean island to suffer major damages from Ivan.