Latest news with #WiaanMulder
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Brian Lara's phone call to Matthew Hayden after Aussie broke cricket's most iconic record
Brian Lara has revealed he rang the Australian dressing room in the middle of the night to congratulate Matthew Hayden on breaking his record, only to take it back the following year. Cricket fanatics would have been nostalgic for Lara's left handed strokemaking during the West Indies' 3-0 Test series loss to Australia in the Caribbean this month, but he still holds arguably cricket's most iconic record. Lara's knock of 400 not out against England in Antigua in 2004 remains the highest individual score by a batter in Test cricket and it doesn't look like being broken any time soon. Even on the rare occasions players come close, they are reluctant to even consider chasing the record and wiping the West Indies legend from the history books. South Africa's Wiaan Mulder scored 367 not out against Zimbabwe earlier this month, but his coach Shukri Conrad made the call to declare at 5/626 to let Lara's record live another day. 'Speaking to coach Shukri Conrad (Shuks) he kinda said to me: 'Listen, let the legends keep the really good scores',' Mulder said. Lara has held the record twice — he scored 375 against England as a youngster in 1994, which remained as Test cricket's highest individual score until Hayden bludgeoned 380 against Zimbabwe at the WACA in 2003. Speaking on The Overlap and Betfair's Stick to Cricket show, Lara recalled the moment he found out Hayden had broken his record, as you can watch in the video above. 'I was asleep in Jamaica and my agent called me and said, 'I have a number for you to call in the Perth dressing room, someone just broke your record',' Lara said. 'So, I called the dressing room. It was very noisy, very loud and I got to Matthew then congratulated him.' Lara didn't have to wait too long to get the record back, famously scoring 400 in the fourth Test of the 2004 series against England in Antigua. 'Funnily enough, I felt that for that 10-year period I had a lot of stress because of those records,' he conceded. 'One of my things was to try and be a good captain and leader, not to be strangled by the record, so I didn't worry too much about it - but then came England again 10 years later …' Lara is one of 15 players who have scored 10,000 Test runs — he finished his 131-match career with 34 centuries at an average of 52.9. The 56-year-old also shared his reverence for the late Shane Warne, with whom he shared many great battles on the field. The pair later became great friends before the legspinner's tragic death in 2022. 'Of course I got on with Shane Warne, we had a great time together,' Lara said. 'He is the best - I'd go out to bat against Muttiah Muralitharan, and I was confused. 'He gave me more pressure than Shane, but I'd walk out to bat against Shane and the ball would be coming off the middle and about 2-3pm he just produces this magical delivery or spell. 'That's why I rate him higher, because I think he was mentally stronger. With his bowling attack and the pitches he bowled on which favoured the fast bowlers, for him to pick up that number of wickets is very special.' 'The best team I ever faced by far was Australia in 1995. The defeat in the West Indies for the first time in 50 years, from then we were unable to turn things around - they were the toughest but also brought out the best in me.'
Mail & Guardian
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Mail & Guardian
Wiaan Mulder and the Selfless Spirit
The bigger man: Was SA cricketer Wiaan Mulder's decision not to contest Brian Lara's 400-run record humble or foolhardy? Photo: Zimbabwe Cricket Wiaan Mulder's unbeaten 367 during the second test between South Africa and Zimbabwe was exceptional for a myriad reasons. It is the highest score by a South African test batsman, the fifth-highest score of all time, the highest score by a debuting captain and the fastest 350 in history. Beyond these feats, he has demonstrated a desire to uphold the spirit of the game. Mulder has a tremendous respect for cricket. This spirit of the game is a difficult concept to define. Most cricketers and fans can identify specific actions that seemingly embody it, but there are still disputes about controversial topics such as mankading a batter or walking after edging the ball. A key aspect of the spirit of the game is the need for cricketers to respect others and the traditional values of cricket. Throughout the innings, it seemed as if Mulder was a man possessed. No other batter managed to score past 83, while Mulder batted like a video game character with the setting on easy. By the time lunch had arrived on day two, Mulder was on 367 and within touching distance of breaking Brian Lara's legendary world record score of 400. But, as lunch ended, the South Africans shocked the world, declaring their innings at 626/5, stranding Mulder on 367. The sudden declaration brought widespread speculation. What was the reason for Mulder forgoing his chance of unseating Lara? Were the South Africans afraid of not being able to win? This was unlikely because it was day two and the South African bowlers had bowled out the Zimbabweans easily in the previous test. Was Mulder injured? This question was answered when Mulder bowled the ninth over with no signs of discomfort. At the end of the day's play, Mulder finally answered why he had declared his innings. After consulting the coach, Shukri Conrad, he decided that it would be better for Lara to retain the record, stating, 'Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.' This declaration irked many people. Fans of cricket chastised Mulder, saying it was wrong not to try to break the record. The former teammate who batted with Lara during that world record innings, Chris Gayle, stated: 'Come on, youngster, you've blown it big time.' Lara himself told Mulder that they should have gone for the record. But Mulder stood firm in his decision to declare his innings as the right thing. This demonstrates his steadfast integrity and belief in upholding the spirit of the game. One message you get from the interviews Mulder gives is his respect and love for those around him. He consistently mentions others rather than hyping up his own accomplishments. He said his main goal was not to break any records but to win the game and make his teammates and country proud. It is evident from the way that he has nothing but respect for his teammates and those cricketers who have paved the way for him. This respect is undoubtedly a big part of why he decided to declare his innings. He wants the legendary Lara to keep his monumental record. Indeed, it appears that Mulder does not want to be compared to the legend himself, which may have influenced his decision to declare. It is easy to criticise him for not trying to get the record, but it should be noted that some have criticised Lara for getting the record at the expense of winning the game in 2004. Perhaps Mulder did not want to be similarly criticised, or maybe he does not enjoy the spotlight. This quality of selflessness is confusing to most fans of sport. People enjoy seeing the bombastic athletes dominate games and bask in the glory while breaking records. Mulder is clearly not that kind of athlete. He wants to perform his job and help his team win. This quality does not usually grab headlines, but it is so important for a thriving team. The drive to put the team above oneself is difficult to achieve; it can only be found in those who genuinely respect the spirit of the game. It is entirely possible that Mulder was wrong and was motivated by the coach or his fears of not reaching that record or being undeservingly named alongside cricketing legends. What cannot be questioned is that Mulder produced one of the finest batting displays in the history of cricket. He made South Africa proud and added to the legacy of cricket for the nation. He embodied his understanding of the spirit of the game, and it was glorious. Craig Thrupp is philosophy PhD graduate and educator who is passionate about sport and the spirit of the game.
India.com
12-07-2025
- Sport
- India.com
Brian Lara disagrees with Wiaan Mulder's decision, urges him to chase 400 if given another chance
Wiaan Mulder. New Delhi: Wiaan Mulder, the stand-in skipper of South Africa was on the cusp of making history when South Africa went into lunch on Day 2 of the second Test match against Zimbabwe. He was on the edge of achieving a feat that only one other batter has ever accomplished in their career a total of 400 runs in a single Test innings and a chance of surpassing the record of Brian Lara in history. However, Mulder chose to declare the innings unbeaten on 367, rather than having a chance of achieving the milestone. The decision to declare at 626/5 has elicited a mixed reaction by the fans and cricket gurus. Chris Gayle and Ben Stokes added their say and they indicated that Wiaan Mulder might not get another opportunity to break the record and reach the illusive 400-run mark. Days after the second Test in Zimbabwe, Wiaan Mulder revealed that he had talked to Brian Lara and Lara had said Mulder should have chased the record at Bulawayo. Mulder has also had his confidence boosted by the legendary West Indies captain, whose 400 not-out has stood the test of time as the highest individual score in Test history and who now urged Mulder to make use of opportunity he has. '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 that if I'm ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had,' Mulder told SuperSport. '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,' he added. Earlier, Wiaan Mulder having decided to declare the innings had claimed that Brian Lara who is a legend of the game, had to keep the record. He also added that he had talked to the head coach of South Africa where he said he wanted to declare and leave the historic record of Lara to stand. The unbeaten 367 by Wiaan Mulder was a personal best and a new record of the highest individual score made by a South African in Tests. His record setting innings is now fifth on the all-time list of highest individual runs in Test history.
Business Standard
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Uddalok Bhattacharya
What South African Captain Wiaan Mulder did is out of character with the times, but it shows humility and reverence for the spirit of this great game
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Business Standard
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Business Standard
Cricket's spirit lives: Wiaan Mulder's humility reveres the game's legacy
What South African Captain Wiaan Mulder did is out of character with the times, but it shows humility and reverence for the spirit of this great game premium Uddalok Bhattacharya New Delhi Listen to This Article Cricket, a team game no doubt, has enormous scope for an individual outshining the rest. This characteristic of cricket, the preponderance of numbers speaking for players' performance, somewhat sets it apart from other team games. A cricketer's tour de force goes into record books in statistical hierarchy. And there is nothing unsportsmanlike in being ahead of others on any count. So had South African Captain Wiaan Mulder broken the great Brian Lara's record of the highest runs in a Test innings, no moral calumny would have fastened on him for doing it. Yet he declared the innings when he was
