Sunrisers Hyderabad bid a warm farewell to batting legend Brian Lara on Tuesday, August 8, 2023. Lara, who was the team’s batting consultant for the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL), had announced his decision to step down from the role earlier this month.
Brian Lara’s time as coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad was a mixed bag. He joined the team in 2022 as batting coach and helped them reach the playoffs. However, he was promoted to head coach in 2023 and the team struggled under his leadership. They finished last in the league with just four wins in 14 matches. Lara was sacked at the end of the season and replaced by Daniel Vettori.
There were a few reasons for Lara’s struggles as head coach. He made some questionable decisions with the team’s batting lineup. He persisted with an out-of-form David Warner as captain, even though Warner was struggling with his form. He also tried out several different opening combinations, which never really clicked.
Earlier this week, SRH went on Twitter to put up a Thank you post as a warm farewell for the Legend.
Ahead of their match against Gujarat Titans, SRH players and staff gathered at the team hotel to honor Lara. The West Indies great was presented with a memento by SRH chairman Kaviya Maran.
“It has been an absolute pleasure working with you, Brian. You have been a great mentor to our young players and have helped them immensely in their development,” Maran said.
Lara, in turn, thanked SRH for the opportunity to work with the team. He said that he had enjoyed his time with the franchise and wished them all the best for the remainder of the IPL season.
“I have had a wonderful time with Sunrisers Hyderabad. The players and staff have been a pleasure to work with. I wish the team all the best for the rest of the season,” Lara said.
Lara’s departure is a big loss for SRH. The former West Indies captain is one of the greatest batsmen of all time and his wealth of experience would have been invaluable to the team. However, SRH fans can take solace in the fact that Lara will continue to be associated with the franchise in a mentor’s role.
Lara will be replaced by Tom Moody as SRH’s batting consultant. Moody is a former Australian cricketer who has extensive experience in coaching and mentoring. He is known for his innovative methods and his ability to get the best out of his players.
SRH will be hoping that Moody can help them improve their batting performance in the second half of the IPL season. The team has struggled with the bat so far, and they need to find a way to score more runs if they want to challenge for the title.
With Lara and Moody in their corner, SRH fans will be hoping that the team can turn things around in the second half of the season.