Wiaan Mulder Reflects on Decision to Decline Pursuit of Brian Lara's Record

Wiaan Mulder recently shared that the legendary West Indies batsman Brian Lara suggested he should have made an effort to surpass Lara's longstanding record for the highest individual score in a test match. Mulder stopped 34 runs short of this mark, finishing on 367 before declaring South Africa's innings during the second Test against Zimbabwe on the second day.

Despite some encouragement from Lara, who had set the record of 400 not out against England over two decades ago, Mulder felt that he did not have the right to upend a legend's achievement, especially since it was accomplished against a much tougher opponent. In a conversation with SuperSport, Mulder recounted how Lara told him that he was in the process of building his own legacy and should seize the opportunity to break records, as they are there to be claimed.

Having accumulated three centuries in his 21-Test career, Mulder remains steadfast in his decision made in Bulawayo not to pursue the record. He acknowledged Lara's perspective but emphasized that for him, respecting the game holds greater significance than chasing personal milestones.