Lara gets Australia's highest honour

Australia bestowed its highest national honour to Trinidad and Tobago cricket legend Brian Lara Sunday.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd handed the award to Lara at a simple ceremony at the residence of the Australian High Commissioner in Cascade.

The Order of Australia has been established as “an Australian society of honour for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service”.

Lara also holds Trinidad and Tobago's highest national honour. “His achievement in international cricket is unmatched,” Rudd said, as he acknowledged that both Australia and Trinidad and Tobago share a great passion for cricket. He said many Australians consider Lara one of their great heroes.

Lara made his maiden test century in Sydney, Australia, and has named his daughter Sydney in honour of that remarkable event in 1993 when he scored 277. She was present Sunday when her father met the Australian leader.

Lara accepted the honour with humililty. "I am blessed with this distinction and proud...But it was not bestowed only on me but the game of cricket and will only serve to strengthen the relationship between our countries.

"It is a great honour but it is more representative of the relationship between Trinidad and Tobago, the West Indies and Australia," he said.

Lara, 40, played professional cricket for 17 years and is now retired.

He still holds the record for the highest test score of 400 not out and highest score in a first-class match of 501 not out. He has 11,953 test runs to his credit, second only to India's Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 12,917 runs in test cricket.