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Someone tell Grant:

Lara joins Zimbabwe as batting coach
November 18, 2010 - 4:04AM
AP

West Indies great Brian Lara will work with the Zimbabwe cricket team as a batting consultant, the 41-year-old announced on Wednesday.

The Trinidadian will work with Zimbabwe's players during the World Cup on the subcontinent starting in February and leading up to the country's return to Test cricket after a five-year absence, in May at home against Bangladesh.

Lara announced the deal to the local media in Harare, saying "it's a well-structured contract. I'm definitely looking forward to working with the team."

Lara retired from first-class cricket in 2008 but is currently playing for a local Zimbabwean team in a Twenty20 tournament.

Lara hit 34 centuries in 131 Tests with a world-record score of 400 not out and an average of 52.88.

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sp ... 17xve.html

This is agood move, no offence to Grant Flower, but Lara is one of the greatest batsmen cricket has ever seen. Grant is a few tiers below that level.

So where does that leave Flower ??

sloandog wrote:So where does that leave Flower ??

Exactly my question

Ha Grant Flower ..................Eagles assistant coach ??????

From what im gathering Lara's contract runs only up to the Bang test series. They are playing around with titles by naming Lara the batting 'consultant' not 'coach'.

It looks like Flower will play one more year as an ordinary player. Campbel wants him to play & provide stability to the middle order. This might back-fire but if Flower gets some good form then we might build a strong team.

Hope Flower is in agreement to that, if not he will have to resign again

I think we're giving out too many jobs now.
Keep it simple.
Batting Coach
Bowling Coach
Fielding Coach
Physiotherapist


Easy

Bloemfontein – With an eye on the coming Cricket World Cup and Zimbabwe's comeback to the Test arena, legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara has been drafted in merely as a consultant, with Grant Flower still the batting coach.

So says Alistair Campbell, former Zimbabwe captain and current team selection chief.

It's also thanks to Campbell that Flower, 39, was this year seen playing and coaching for Zimbabwe.

After it was announced during the past week that Lara would be involved, it was unclear what Flower's role would be, seeing that he had only just again joined the team.

"Lara will only be acting as a consultant, just like Duncan Fletcher is sometimes used by South Africa."

"Grant will remain the batting coach," says Campbell. He told Sport24 that Lara's services had been contracted for three weeks. The left-handed batsman will instruct Zimbabwe in Harare.

Before the World Cup tournament, Zimbabwe will hold a training camp in the United Arab Emirates.

Lara will not accompany the team to the subcontinent for the World Cup.

Whilst in Zimbabawe the 41-year-old Lara played three matches for the Southern Rocks in Zimbabwe's local limited overs series.

He cut short his participation to play in Gary Player's annual golf tournament in George.

eugene wrote:is a few tiers below that level.

Understatement...

sloandog wrote:Keep it simple.

A consultant just comes in to help and thats what he is doing ~I think its fine like that

I don't know the full details of Lara's contract. But it just seems as though ZC are paying an obscene amount of money to be associated with someone's name. Good PR won't win cricket matches. Also, what coaching qualifications does Lara have? With geniuses of his sort, it can often be very hard - if not impossible - to relate to an average player. His batting excellence didn't help West Indies when he played for them, it was just the Lara show.