Follow UsWiaan Mulder’s stocks grew overnight, as South Africa’s stand-in skipper smashed 200 on day one of the second Test against Zimbabwe. When Mulder went past the 300-run mark, it felt like Brian Lara’s 400 was under severe danger.
However, the South African all-rounder declared the innings on 367*, 33 runs short of Lara’s all-time Test record. In the aftermath, the entire world was highly critical of his decision to retire.
Mulder revealed that he had a conversation with Lara, who insisted that the South African cricketer should have gone for his ‘record’.
"Now that things have settled a little bit, I've chatted a little bit to Brian Lara," Mulder told SuperSport.
"He said to me I'm creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it. He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I'm ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had,” he added.
But the all-rounder insisted that he still did the right thing in declaring on 367*, as Lara still holds the record.
"That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me."