Lara says aspiring sportsmen, women need to have big dreams to achieve success

West Indian cricket legend Brian Lara has said that aspiring sportsmen and women need to have big dreams and find themselves role models to achieve success.

While speaking at the official opening of the Hammanskraal Cricket Oval, outside Pretoria, Lara unveiled a plaque and spent time in the nets with a group of children ranging from 8-15 years old.

He said that one has to dig deep into their hearts and minds and know exactly what they want, Sport24 reported.

Lara said that some people would be better than one, and one would be better than some of them, but added that skills end up being secondary. He also said that one needs to have a dream and live that dream.

Lara said that he could still remember when he was that age and stood in front of the mirror and practiced his stance. He said that one needs heroes and role models and must love the art of cricket if they want to play at a high level.

He said that one also has to learn to take the good with the bad and when one fails, use that opportunity to dig deep and analyse what they did wrong, then come back even stronger.

Born in Trinidad and the second youngest of 11 children, Lara said his father always made time to watch him play and encouraged him.

Lara's first role model was cricketer Roy Fredericks, but as he grew older he equally admired Sir Vivian Richards for his aggressive style, Gordon Greenidge for his technique and Desmond Haynes for his resilience.

Lara holds the record for both the highest individual Test score. His 400 not out against England in 2004 came 10 years after he had first set the world record of 375 against the same team, at the same ground in Antigua.

His 501 not out for Warwickshire in 1994 remains the highest individual score in first-class cricket, the report added.