Former West Indies captain Brian Lara makes a striking claim in his book, stating that his former teammate Carl Hooper possesses a level of natural talent that even legends struggle to match.
In Lara: The England Chronicles, Lara reflects on Hooper’s cricketing ability and places him above himself and Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar when it comes to pure talent.
Brian Lara Says Carl Hooper Had More Talent Than Tendulkar
He writes:
“Carl was easily one of the best players I’ve ever seen. I would say that not even Tendulkar and I would come close to that talent. Separate Carl’s career from playing to captaining and his numbers are very different. As a captain, he averaged nearly 50, so he enjoyed the responsibility. It is sad that only as a captain did he fulfill his true potential,”
Lara explains that Hooper does not fully justify his immense ability during most phases of his career, except when he takes on leadership responsibility. According to Lara, captaincy brings out the best in Hooper, allowing him to perform closer to his actual potential.
Hooper represents the West Indies between 1987 and 2003, featuring in 102 Tests and 227 ODIs. He scores 5,762 runs in Tests at an average of 36.46 and adds 5,761 runs in ODIs at an average of 35.34. Despite these numbers, he is often described as one of cricket’s biggest enigmas due to the gap between his talent and statistical output.
Beyond batting, Hooper contributes significantly as an off-spinner. He claims 114 Test wickets and 193 ODI wickets, registers 20 international centuries, and records four five-wicket hauls across formats.
Lara on Hooper’s Underwhelming Numbers
While reviewing Hooper’s international record, Lara suggests that the former West Indies all-rounder never fully realises how good he is. Referring to Hooper’s iconic 111-run innings against England at Lord’s in 1991, Lara views the knock as a clear example of his exceptional class.
Recalling that match, Lara says:
“When I think back to that Lord’s match, I see the class of Carl Hooper. Man, what a player. The ease in which he batted brought out a kind of awe in us, and in all of us, even the senior players. You felt that when Carl went out to bat, they enjoyed it – Desmond Haynes, Viv Richards, Richard Greenidge, all these guys would stop what they were doing just to watch him,”
He further adds:
“He was so talented, yet he didn’t understand just how good he was. People would ask why he didn’t do full justice to his brilliance, and you know what, there is no clear reason for it,”
As captain, Hooper leads the West Indies in 22 Test matches, winning four and losing 11, with the rest ending in draws. In ODIs, he captains the side in 49 matches, securing 23 wins and suffering 24 losses, with two games producing no result.
Lara’s reflections underline the belief that while Carl Hooper’s statistics remain respectable, they do not fully capture the extraordinary natural ability he possesses.
