Sport

Lara touts Trini teenager

PORT OF SPAIN, TRINIDAD, CMC

DOUBLE WORLD BATTINg record holder Brian Lara believes that Trinidad and Tobago's Under-19 opening batsman Adrian Barath is a special talent.

On seeing the 15-year-old batsman during the T&T Under-19 training sessions at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Cricket Centre Couva, Lara suggested that close attention should be paid to his development.

Lara closely monitored Barath during his knock at the indoor nets.

During this year's CLICO West Indies Under-15 tournament, Barath gathered 429 runs including two centuries and was voted the "Most Valuable Player" of the tournament.

He also copped the "Cricketer of the Year" award at the 2005 PowerGen Secondary Schools Cricket League.

Lara told the youngsters that he was honoured to speak to them, which reminded him of when he was playing Under-19 cricket.

He said that hard work was always rewarding.

"I am training very hard at this stage of my career, and if I had done like this 10 years ago, I would have made much more runs," Lara said.