Lara and McGrath duel heads for the death

After 12 years of battles Brian Lara and Glenn McGrath prepare for what may be their final meeting by swapping a series of compliments.

"He was definitely the toughest fast bowler," Lara said in News Ltd papers. "He just didn't give you opportunities to score … Series after series, Glenn came at me with the same plan. He has been an outstanding competitor. Players like myself and Sachin (Tendulkar) want to be dominant, but he is one of the bowlers you don't want to face."

McGrath, who has dismissed Lara 15 times, was also generous in his praise for a man he first met on the 1995 Caribbean tour.

"I would have to rate him the best I bowled to," McGrath said. "Technically, Tendulkar was more correct but Lara was genuinely more dangerous. He has all the shots and could be very destructive. I always loved the challenge of bowling to him."