Trinidad and Tobago Express
Editorial, April 13
"Brian Lara's magnificent quadruple century [on Monday] destroyed England's hopes for a West Indian whitewash, set a new world cricket record [and] established him as the greatest batsman of his generation ... At the end of it all the cricket world was looking, not for the first time, for words to do justice to the West Indian's achievement ...
"In a game [in which] batsmen define its entertainment value, Lara has had few parallels, if any, and like most of the great ones he has the uncanny ability to summon the genie of his genius out of the lamp just when the times seem to be the darkest."
Ian Botham
Daily Mirror, April 13
"After the way the West Indies were outplayed and hammered by England in the first three Tests, [this] was just what the Caribbean needed ... We've just witnessed one of the great sporting moments from any era ... Everything about Lara's innings was textbook stuff: his footwork, shot selection and the way he paced his innings. Truly masterful ...
"Hopefully, it will have the desired effect at this summer's Test series in England and the crowds will flock to watch one of the greatest batsmen of modern times."
Newsday
Editorial, Trinidad, April 13
"[Lara's innings] brought excitement, joy and pleasure in the greatest measure to West Indians everywhere, and we can hardly imagine the feelings of those in Antigua who saw at first hand this great moment in West Indies and cricket history, and who can say with pride, 'we were there' ...
"Once again Lara has shown the great talent he possesses, a talent of such genius that it is incomprehensible to us when he fails so many times at the crease. But for [Monday's] performance Lara would have emerged from this series against England a total failure both as captain and player. Instead today he is a hero, a champion, a man who can do it."
Australian
Editorial, April 14
"While [Lara's] extraordinary 400 not out against England is a record that will be hard to beat, sooner or later it will be. Just ask Australia's Matthew Hayden, who took the record - from Lara - last year with 380 ...
"Whatever Lara does next, he has now stamped his career with a marvellous achievement. He beat the worst that his own demons could deliver. And he provided his team, and cricket lovers throughout the West Indies - where beating England is very, very important - with something to be proud of in a season where glory has been scarce. Whatever the outcome of the fourth Test ... Lara has played a winning captain's innings. His place among the cricket greats is guaranteed."
Pat Murphy
Birmingham Post, April 13
"It's right and proper that Lara has regained his status as the highest scorer in a Test match innings. This man is a genuine, gold-plated great, fit to grace any era as a batsman. Hayden ... doesn't deserve to be included in the same sentence ... On his day, you simply can't bowl at Lara. The fact that he is still racking up massive scores tells you all about his self-motivation ...
"When you see him play at his best, it is tempting to set aside the other baggage that has come with having him in your dressing room. The lax attitude to time-keeping, the disinclination to tough it out in the field when you're up against it, the temper tantrums. Genius sometimes doesn't acknowledge conventional parameters ... Test cricket isn't that awash with such brilliance ... Let's enjoy him while we can in England this summer. It'll be our last chance in this country."