David Boon rates Brian Lara above Sachin Tendulkar; hails Allan Border as Australia’s best captain

Short, plump and with the trademark handlebar moustache, David Boon was a cult figure in Australian line-up in the 1980s and 1990s. Despite having retired from the game more than two decades back, the Australian batsman continues to serve the game in many capacities. Recently, he opened up the can of worms by giving his verdict on the never-ending Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara debate. Boonie, as he is fondly called, has rated West Indian legend Lara more naturally talented than his counterpart Tendulkar.

In an interview with The New Indian Express, Boon was asked who the most talented cricketer ever was, to which he replied, “There are very few absolutely naturally talented players who are successful at the highest level. Most of them have the element of talent, but it is how they play the game and their desire to be as best as they possibly can that makes cricketers successful. If I had to pick one that was the most naturally gifted, that will be Lara.”

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Though Boon rates Tendulkar as “one of the best cricketers of the era”, he does not consider the Indian demigod as “pure naturally gifted package.”

“I know that is very harsh on Sachin Tendulkar. I admire him immensely as a player who was successful in all conditions and in all formats. He is someone who worked very hard on his game and became mentally very strong. I wouldn’t put him in that ‘pure naturally gifted package’ but nonetheless, he is one of the best cricketers of the era,” Boon added.

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While Tendulkar boasts a superior record, Lara in renowned to notch up big scores in Test cricket and play more crucial innings. Over the years, many greats have given their opinion and though Tendulkar edges past in terms of technique, Lara scores more when it comes to flair.

Best Australian captain

Boon was also asked on whom he thought was the best Australian captain, and the 55-year-old replied that “it is a really easy option.” He chose Allan Border ahead of his fellow Tasmanian Ricky Ponting.

“I absolutely respect Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh’s leaderships. When Ricky Ponting became the captain, I could see in him a little bit of Allan Border, Mark and Steve. But for me, Allan is the godfather of modern Australian cricket. As a group, under Allan’s example and leadership, the group of players were stable and realised how much the Baggy Green meant and what an honour it was to wear it,” said Boon.

It was under Border’s captaincy that a rebuilding Australian team laid their hands on the World Cup for the first time in 1987 and Boon, who scored 75 as an opener in the tournament final in Kolkata, was adjudged the Man of the Match.

Reminiscing the win at the iconic Eden Gardens, Boon added, “We were very much the underdogs. It was a perfect example of how a team can triumph over individuals if you have clear targets and disciplined like we were under coach Bob Simpson. A very big test for us was the semi-final against Pakistan in Lahore which we managed to win. The final at Kolkata was unbelievable. It was the first time I was to Eden Gardens in front of 1,00,00-plus crowd. I think this was the only time the Indians rooted for an Australian side perhaps because they did not like the British from the historical perspective.”