Injury rules Lara out of tournament

Brian Lara has been ruled out of the ongoing ICL Twenty20 tournament after failing to recover from a fractured left arm he sustained while playing for Trinidad and Tobago in January.

Former New Zealand opener Nathan Astle has replaced Lara as captain of the Mumbai Champs. "Unfortunately Brian is injured and will not be able to take guard, so Nathan Astle has already taken charge of the side," Sandeep Patil, coach of the Champs, told PTI.

"He was placed in a cast for five-and-a-half weeks. An X-ray in Delhi showed that his fracture is showing slow but well-aligned healing," Danny Redrup, physiotherapist of the Champs, said. "Due to the extent of the structural damage, Brian is still in significant discomfort while holding the bat. Another two to four weeks will be required for appropriate healing to facilitate some batting practice."

The loss of Lara is a major blow to the unofficial league as he was one of its biggest crowd pullers. Lara, though, was in poor form in the inaugural edition of the ICL last year, managing only 31 runs at an average of 6.20 as his side finished at the bottom of the table.