In a rare moment of selflessness in modern cricket, South Africa’s star all-rounder Wiaan Mulder left fans of the cricket world by opting against chasing the world record despite being a few runs short of breaking Brian Lara’s legendary 400-run Test record.
Mulder was named South Africa's stand-in captain after Keshav Maharaj was ruled out of the second Test due to an injury after taking over the reins from the injured regular captain Temba Bavuma, and he delivered a sensational performance against Zimbabwe.
He smashed an unbeaten 264 on Day 1 and broke several records. On day 2, Mulder had a once-in-a-generation moment, but he chose respect over records. The Proteas star stood at 367*, just 33 runs away from Lara’s 400*—the only 400 in Test cricket history that he made against England in 2004.
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But instead of resuming his innings after lunch, Mulder made the surprising call to declare the innings. The bold decision stunned the cricket world. Many experts questioned why Mulder gave up a shot at history. However, South Africa went on to beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 236 runs within just three days, but he lost the opportunity to make history.
Brian Lara urges Wiaan Mulder to break his record if he gets another chance
Now, Wiaan Mulder revealed the conversation he had with West Indies legend Brian Lara after his bold move. The West Indies great told Mulder he should’ve gone for the record and encouraged him to chase such rare milestones if he gets another chance.
Wiaan Mulder was quoted as saying by SuperSport, “Now that things have settled a little bit, I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara… 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.”
The Proteas all-rounder further added, “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.”
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Chris Gayle slams Wiaan Mulder's move; the Proteas star defends himself
Well, Chris Gayle, former West Indies legend and teammate of Brian Lara, wasn’t impressed by Mulder’s decision to declare on 367. He felt Mulder missed a golden chance to chase the rare 400-run milestone in Test cricket. Gayle called it a big blunder and believed the young South African should have at least tried, as such opportunities don’t come often.
After the match, Mulder explained that he declared on 367 out of respect for Brian Lara’s legendary status in the game. He felt the team had enough runs, and it was time to bowl. Mulder said if given another chance, he would make the same decision again.
Mulder had said in a post-match interaction, “Firstly, I thought we had enough, and we needed to bowl. Secondly, Brian Lara is a legend. For someone of that stature to keep that record is deserved. If I get the chance to do it again, I’d do it exactly the same way.”
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