My dream was to play with Brian Lara: Tino Best

Former West Indian pacer Tino Best named Carlisle Best and Brian Lara as his cricketing heroes growing up in the Caribbean during a Live session on Sportskeeda’s Facebook page.

Speaking to Indranil Basu, Tino Best called his uncle Carlisle Best his biggest childhood hero. The Barbadian fast bowler also opened up on how it was growing up as the nephew of a West Indian international cricketer.

“My biggest hero… My #1 hero to this day is my uncle, Carlisle Best. Just to have him in the house, or have him as a family member and share the surname… I freaked out. When I’d first meet people, I’d always ask them ‘do you know who Carlisle Best is?’ and they would go like ‘yeah’, and I’d say ‘that’s my uncle’,” Tino Best said.

Tino Best also spoke about the importance that Brian Lara had in the Caribbean islands as he was growing up. The 38-year-old compared the Brian Lara’s impact in the West Indies to what Sachin Tendulkar had in India.

Tino Best also recalled how it was always his dream to play alongside the great Brian Lara in the West Indian team early in his career. Best believes he will always be proud of playing with Brian Lara, and against Sachin Tendulkar.

“Growing up as a teenager... Brian Lara, for us in this part of the world was like how Sachin is for Indians. He was a legend, a great man. Brian Lara was one of the greatest… You know, I always wanted to play cricket with Brian Lara. My uncle was a lot older than me but my dream was to play for the West Indies with Brian Lara, and I did it, you know,” Tino Best said.

At the end of the day, success is relative. To play with Brian Lara and to play against Sachin Tendulkar, is something I can tell my grandkids, and feel proud of, myself.” Tino Best added.

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— Tino95 (@tinobest) July 16, 2020

You can’t choose between Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar: Tino Best

On being asked to choose the more prominent name in terms of achievement and impact on the game, between Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, Tino Best said it was impossible to choose between the two, According to him, the effect that the two cricketing greats have had on the sport is incomparable.

“Both. I can’t pick one or the other. What Sachin has done for the people of India is absolutely astounding. What Brian Lara has done for the people of the Carribean is truly astounding. When we match two legends of the game I don’t think it is about who the best is. I think what they have given to the people of the world in terms of cricket is something that we’ll never see,” Tino Best said.

Tino Best made his Test debut under the captaincy of Brian Lara in 2003 and played a handful of Tests with his childhood hero before the latter’s retirement in 2006. The pacer played two Test matches against India, which incidentally were the two matches in Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell series.