Viv Richards, Carl Hooper term Brian Lara's claims in his recently published book as 'gross misrepresentations'

Brian Lara's former teammates, Viv Richards and Carl Hooper, have vehemently countered their erstwhile West Indian colleague for brazenly misrepresenting their characters and disfiguring the actual events of the past in his recent literary release, Lara: The England Chronicles. 

"Sir Vivian Richards and Mr. Carl Hooper are deeply disheartened by the gross misrepresentations made about them in Mr. Brian Lara's recently-released book. The allegations presented not only distort the reality of their relationship but also impugn their characters in an unjust and harmful manner," the duo said in a joint statement put out by Hooper.

In previously-reported news, it was initially disclosed that Lara's book included a comparison in which he favorably ranked Hooper as superior to himself and Sachin Tendulkar. Additionally, Lara noted that Richards’ manner of expressing affection did not align with Hooper’s sentiments, as attributed by ESPNcricinfo.

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In the book, Lara described how Richards' remarks in the dressing room could be "intimidating" to players, though he emphasized that Richards always had the best interests of the team at heart. Lara recounted, "Viv used to make me cry every three weeks, but he would make Carl cry once a week. Viv's tone of voice is intimidating and if you're not strong enough, you can take that personally and be affected by it. Me, I was never really affected by it. In a way, I welcomed it, because I was so much under his arm that I knew abuse was coming and I was a strong personality. Carl? I know for a fact that Carl shied away from Viv Richards."

However, Hooper countered the veracity of the claim, asserting that contrary to the assertions in Lara's book, Richards consistently supported him steadfastly and at all times. Hooper additionally emphasized that their nearly four-decade-long relationship was grounded in reciprocal esteem and solidarity. He argued that the distortion of their interactions in Lara's book represented a serious atrocity to the truth and had caused unwarranted distress to both parties and their loved ones.

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"Sir Vivian, as Mr. Hooper's first captain, has never caused emotional distress to Mr. Hooper. On the contrary, he has always acted as an encouraging mentor and provided unwavering support. Their nearly 40-year relationship has been founded on mutual respect and camaraderie. The misrepresentation of their interactions in Mr. Lara's book is a grave disservice to the truth and has caused undue distress to both parties and their families," read their joint statement.

Richards and Hooper have criticized Lara for "seeking to profit from such deception," which they found "incomprehensible" given his esteemed position in global cricket. They have demanded a public retraction of the false claims and a formal, genuine apology to uphold the integrity of public discourse.

Although Lara participated in just one international match with Richards, an ODI at Lord's during the 1991 tour of England, he had significantly more engagements with Hooper, both captaining him and playing under his leadership.