Injury cloud over Lara

HARARE, CANA:

THERE is an injury concern over West Indies batting star Brian Lara on the eve of the team's limited-overs practice match against a Zimbabwe Districts XI today.

Ahead of Saturday's opening triangular series match against Zimbabwe, Lara is in the team for today's contest, but a niggling hamstring problem has resurfaced.

"Brian's hamstring injury began acting up again shortly after we arrived mainly because of the temperature change," West Indies manager Ricky Skerritt said yesterday.

"We have been trying to ease back on his workload this week, but he is in the match. He will do a fitness test just before the match and, hopefully, he will be ready for Wednesday and able to play on Saturday."

West Indies, Zimbabwe and India are involved in a three-way series in which each side will play the other twice before contesting the Championship final on July 23.

"The Zimbabwe team is playing well and their tails are up because they have just tied the series with India, and so they will be very difficult to beat at home," remarked Skerritt, who watched part of the last day of the second and final Test between the two teams.

"India has a very talented team and we expect it is going to be a very competitive limited-overs series against these two. We have not done well in limited-overs matches over the past five or six years and so this is part of the rebuilding of our team," added Skerritt.

The West Indies manager believes the team is aware of its weak record away from home over the past six years and will be going all out to turn around its fortunes.

"The players are working hard in training because some of them are fighting to get into the team and it is a fairly competitive situation throughout the team," Skerritt said.

"Except for a few positions, there is a quite a bit of competition for a place in the side. We will see how it goes in this match because there has not and will not be many opportunities for players to show themselves."

Four changes have been made to the side that won the tour opener by eight runs on Sunday. Omitted are Wavell Hinds, Mervyn Dillon, Kerry Jeremy and Neil McGarrell. Included are Lara, Cameron Cuffy, Corey Collymore and Mahendra Nagamootoo.

Team: Carl Hooper (captain), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ridley Jacobs, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Reon King, Cameron Cuffy and Corey Collymore.

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