Brian Lara backs Michael Clarke, laments state of West Indies cricket

The first time Brian Lara met Michael Clarke was in the back of a taxi in Georgetown, Guyana, in 2003.

"I asked him if he was a reporter," Lara, considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time, said. "We've been close friends since then."

Now, the West Indies maestro has advised Clarke to focus on Test cricket, to prolong his career in the face of a hamstring injury threatening to sideline him this summer.

"He is special – and he still has a lot to offer," Lara told Fairfax Media. "Hopefully he can get over it quickly. Injury is something I was lucky to not suffer too much from. I had a few knocks about the body. He's still got a lot of cricket to play. He's only 33. But he will need to fashion a career that will suit his fitness. I know he loves the longer version of the game, which isn't as strenuous as running around in a T20 or 50-over game. Hopefully, he can be fit for the World Cup."
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