West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara has fond memories of the southwestern Zimbabwe city of Bulawayo where he scored 191 in a Test innings 20 years ago.
The 53-year-old was back at the Queens Sports Club, the scene of his 203-ball knock, this week in a new role as West Indies performance mentor.
His maiden mission is to assist the West Indies in a two-Test series from Saturday against Zimbabwe, a country they have faced 10 times in the longest format, winning seven and drawing three.Once a powerful force in international cricket, the Windies have fallen on hard times, with a first-round exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia last year the latest setback.Lara, whose unbeaten 400 against England in 2004 remains the highest individual Test score, was part of a three-man panel that recently reviewed the multi-nation team's woes.The panel pinpointed the financial lure of T20 franchise cricket, saying some West Indies stars were putting it ahead of international duty.
The warning was stark: West Indies cricket may "cease to exist" unless the issue of its top players prioritising global T20 leagues over international calls-up is resolved.Lara has kept a low profile since arriving in Zimbabwe, saying only that he "believes he can help the players with their mental approach and tactics".