When Brian Lara was given a cricket bat made out of a coconut branch

Lara, who went on to score 11,953 Test runs at an average of 52.88 and 10,405 in one-day internationals at 40.48, started his journey at the age of four.

If Sachin Tendulkar was the best batsman of his generation, then Brian Lara was definitely the most stylish contemporary of the ‘Little Master’. Often considered at the same level, Lara was indeed a batsman par excellence and his accomplishments in Test cricket definitely makes him one of the greats of the game.

Brian Lara of West Indies looks on during a West Indies team training session at the Kensington Oval on April 20, 2007 in Bridgetown, Barbados. (Getty Images)

Lara, who went on to score 11,953 Test runs at an average of 52.88 and 10,405 in one-day internationals at 40.48, started his journey at the age of four. The former Windies captain revealed this in an interview with the International Cricket Council’s ICC Cricket 360.

“My brother shaved a cricket bat out of a coconut branch...we played cricket with anything we put our hands on – a hard orange, a lime, a marble – anything we could use in the backyard or the streets,” the legend said.

The southpaw also spoke about the sacrifices his father had made to ensure he got to play cricket at the highest level.

“My dad made sure he gave me everything, he sacrificed what he had to, to make sure I had what I needed to perform at the best level,” Lara said.