AHMADABAD, India (AP):

SKIPPER BRIAN Lara says he is not hassled that title holders, the West Indies, must play a qualifying round for the biennial Champions Trophy cricket tournament.

"We're not hassled to be playing the Champions Trophy qualifier, we're actually looking at the positive aspect of getting three competitive matches ahead of the main tournament," Lara said ahead of today's match against minnows Zimbabwe.

The West Indies did not qualify among the top six teams for the Champions Trophy, which they won in 2004 in London.

Under the altered format, seeking to avoid lopsided games that came under fire from several captains two years ago, the Champions Trophy will be restricted to eight teams - two coming from a round-robin qualifying competition among four sides. The West Indies had slipped to number eight on April 1, which was the cut-off date for teams seeking direct entry. World champion Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, England and host India made the grade.

Two former world champions - the West Indies and Sri Lanka - have been forced to play the qualifying event along with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

"As I look at it, playing three competitive games is a big positive going into any tournament," Lara said as his team had a training session under lights at Ahmadabad's Motera Stadium.

"We'll be fielding our best combination and won't take any rival lightly," said Lara, adding that the young Zimbabwe outfit was showing signs of vast improvement.

Lara said Zimbabwe was an inexperienced team during its last tour to the West Indies, when the Windies won a limited-overs series 5-0.

"Zimbabwe will only get better as its players gain international experience," he said. "They're very enthusiastic and willing to learn."

Lara, 37, said competition for getting a spot on the West Indies team was intense.

Today's game against Zimbabwe will be the first time Lara will be playing a match on Indian soil in a decade, having missed two West Indies tours to India after the World Cup in 1996.

"Due to illness, I couldn't make the tour when the West Indies came here last time, but I'm hoping to make up for that now," Lara said.

"I'm looking forward to the upcoming Champions Trophy and also West Indies' tour of India for one-dayers in January," said Lara, who insisted that playing a test match at Calcutta's Eden Gardens was among his wishes still to be fulfilled.