Education makes you a better player: Lara

Brian Lara, Jermaine Jenas, Aravinda De Silva and Dwight Yorke during the Global Education and Skills Forum at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai on Saturday.

The Global Education & Skills Forum proved to be a great platform to unify leaders from the public, private, social and sports sectors to address education's greatest challenges.
The development of modern sport as a global entity knitted together an inseparable link to the concept of education.
Former West Indian cricketer Brian Lara, who was one among the select few to share his views, believes that education plays a key role in shaping the personality of a person. An educated player can play a more positive role in the affairs of the team, the legendary player said.
Lara was joined by former Sri Lankan cricketer Aravinda de Silva and the duo of former footballers Dwight Yorke and Jermaine Jenas at the forum in Dubai on Saturday.
"We can't deny the importance of education in our lives and the role it plays in the development of our personality. It teaches us how to behave in different situations. An educated player can become a good captain even if he is not the most talented guy," Lara said.
One of the most gifted batsmen of all times, added: "Education teaches us empathy which plays a key role in handling different types of people. It didn't work in my case as I was made captain thrice and sacked twice. I don't see myself as a successful captain."
While speaking about Twenty20, Lara said: "The emergence of T20 is the best thing to have happened to cricket. The injection of T20 gave a different force to the game and it has become an integral part of cricket. I am not saying cricket was dying but the new format has created more love and craze for the game worldwide. It is going to stay here."
T20 has changed the scenario by introducing more aggression to the Test cricket. The players like Quinton de Kock of South Africa and Australia's Glenn Maxwell have added more spice to the game.
"More aggressive players are playing Test cricket now and the game has become more result-oriented. It happened only after the introduction of T20," Lara added.
One of the most aggressive players of his era, Lara does not regret to miss T20 bandwagon.
"I am proud of my career and in my opinion Test cricket is the ultimate. I feel privileged to have played Test cricket for a long time for my country and if I had to choose I will opt for the longest version of the game."
When asked who is the best player in his opinion, Lara said diplomatically, "I don't compere players because everybody has got a different style.
"Players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Joe Root are best in their own right. Lot of new players are emerging and I see the bright future for cricket ahead."
Arvinda de Silva, widely considered as the finest batsmen produced by Sri Lanka, said: "Sports and education are intertwined and I can't forget the incident during 1996 World Cup when Sri Lanka was suffering terrorism menace.
"All the warring groups declared that there will be no war on the match days."
De Silva added: "The cricket board in Sri Lanka has devised a plan to introduce game in the schools in a proper way. It will help our country to produce more educated players."
Yorke, who has played for six different clubs in England, said: "Nobody knows the importance of education more than me. "The journey from Trinidad & Tobago to England was not a smooth one. I had to face a different weather and culture and above all the media. Only education empowers you handle different situations smoothly."
liaqat@khaleejtimes.com