'I still believe I did the right thing': Wiaan Mulder on conversation with Brian Lara after sparing his record

Wiaan Mulder could have broken Brian Lara’s record of the highest score in men’s Test cricket, but he opted to declare, allowing the West Indian to hold onto his record. But the legendary Lara has a different opinion. read more

South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder wanted Brian Lara to hold the record of being the only Test batter to score 400 runs in one innings, but the West Indian legend feels the all-rounder should have gone for the record. Mulder declared against Zimbabwe in the second Test at Bulawayo on Monday, when he was on 367, surprising the entire cricketing community.

He later went on to say that Lara keeping that record is how it should be. “Well, first things first, I thought we’ve got enough, we need to bowl. And secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real. He got 401 [400*] or whatever it was against England. And for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I’d probably do the same thing. I know I was speaking to Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad],” Mulder said.

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Mulder shares interaction with Lara

Mulder recently had a chance to interact with Lara and the 56-year-old legend told him that records are “meant to be broken,” but the Proteas cricketer is pretty content with his decision.

“Now that things have settled a little bit, I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara,” Mulder told SuperSport. “He said to me I’m creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it. He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I’m ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had.

“That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me.”

Mulder’s 367 is the fifth-highest individual score of all time and the highest for a South African batter. Lara leads the chart with a record score of 400 not out against England in 2004.

Earlier, former West Indian batter Chris Gayle, who scored two triple hundreds during his career, said that Mulder should have chased the record if he wanted to become a legend.

“If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle said. “That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it. If you want to be a legend… how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.”

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