Mulder reveals Brian Lara urged him to chase the World Record Score

South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has revealed that West Indies legend Brian Lara urged him to chase down the world record for the highest individual Test score, after Mulder came tantalisingly close during the recent match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

Mulder stunned the cricketing world by finishing unbeaten on 367 at lunch on day two of the one-off Test, before making the surprise call to declare South Africa’s innings at 626/5 just 33 runs short of Lara’s iconic 400 not out against England in 2004. Mulder was the stand-in captain for the match, with both Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj unavailable.

The decision to declare early helped South Africa dominate the game and wrap up victory inside three days. However, the move sparked widespread debate among fans and pundits, with many wondering if Mulder had passed up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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Lara urged me to break his record, says Mulder

At the time, Mulder said he was at peace with his call. “You never know what is destined for me, but Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he remarked after the match. “He got 400 against England for someone of that stature, to keep that record is pretty special.” Now, Mulder has revealed that he recently spoke to Lara, who had an entirely different take on the matter.

“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.” Despite Lara’s encouragement, Mulder still stands by his original call, saying, “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.”