Lara hopeful of returning in six weeks

Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara is hoping to be fully fit in six weeks and able to resume duties for Trinidad and Tobago. Lara returned home on Saturday after suffering a fractured arm while playing for Trinidad and Tobago against Leeward Islands in their third-round Carib Beer Series match last Friday in St Maarten. He was struck on his left arm by a rising delivery from fast bowler Lionel Baker on the opening day of the match.

Lara was at Woodford Square in Port of Spain yesterday with a cast on his left arm. "These things happen," Lara told the Trinidad and Tobago Express. "I play sport so you have to expect at some point in time for injury to step in. Unfortunately, I was unable to get out of the way of a short ball and I broke my arm. But in six weeks and I'll be fine. I've been through many broken bones in the past and I'll get over this one."

X-rays showed a fracture in his left arm just above the wrist. Over the weekend, T&T team manager Omar Khan said Lara would be out of action for approximately eight weeks.

Despite a lingering shoulder injury, Lara struck a century and an unbeaten half-century in a winning effort against Guyana two weeks ago in T&T's opening game at the Queen's Park Oval. He made himself available for the national team this season but said he would step down once the international players returned from West Indies' tour of South Africa, to give younger players a chance to develop.