Lara eyeing England tour

Former West Indies captain Brian Lara has high hopes of being back for this year's summer Test cricket tour of England.

In a radio interview with David Ellis of Starcom Network yesterday, Lara, who earlier this year resigned the captaincy and took an indefinite break from cricket, said it was his aim to be ready for the trip from May 31 to September 4, if selected.

'Two months from now when we tour England it should be enough for someone like myself to get myself right physically and mentally, that could be that type of time span that I am looking at,' said the 30-year-old Trinidadian, who was at the time relaxing and playing at the Royal Westmoreland Barbados 2000 GolfTournament.

'I would have to look at the England tour and say 'yeah I would love to get to England' and start myresurgence here.'

Lara, who is the world-double record holder with 375 in Tests and 501 not out in first-class cricket, added: 'When it is the right time for me to get back out there - I don't think that I'm in the right frame of mind yet.

'I know for sure at present I am very at ease with myself. I feel very good and I feel that whatever challenges I face, maybe not in the near future but in a couple months down the line, that I'll be able to get myself ready for it.'

Lara spoke of high ambitions when he decides to return to the game, focussing on being the No.1 batsmen in the world.

'Ever so often you pick up the papers and see the rankings. I don't know how they work it out, and you see you're the No.1 batsman in the world and I would like that to be a permanent thing,' he said.

'I think that would be my goal to be the best or one of the best batsman of the '90s, and maybe one of the of the best batsmen of the 21st century.'