Lara 'Keen To Play'

Brian Lara turned 31 yesterday with his immediate future still shadowed in doubt.

The left-handed master batsman has had no cricket since he resigned the West Indies captaincy February 24 and announced a week later he was taking a break from cricket for a short period, missing the home series against Zimbabwe and Pakistan.

He has since indicated that he is looking forward to returning to the team for the forthcoming summer's tour of England. That is now only a month away and chairman of selectors Mike Findlay said yesterday he was anxious to ascertain Lara's present situation.

We are now thinking of the tour to England and I am writing to the [West Indies Cricket] Board to find out officially where we stand with Brian, Findlay said from Georgetown where the West Indies start the first of their three Tests against Pakistan on Friday.

Brian communicated his decision to take his break to the board which passed it on to the selectors, he explained. We obviously want Brian back in the team, but we cannot pick him until we hear from the board whether he is available and eligible.

Lara said at the time that he would use his time off to seek the assistance of appropriate professionals to rebuild all facets of my game so as to sustain the remainder of my cricketing career.

According to reliable reports, he had sessions with a sports psychologist in New York last month before returning to Trinidad where he spent much of his time off mainly playing golf and relaxing with family and friends.

He also participated in a pro-am golf tournament at Royal Westmoreland in Barbados and attended a charity function in England.

West Indies selector Joey Carew, the former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies left-handed batsman who was one of Lara's early mentors, said from Georgetown yesterday that he last spoke to Lara by phone over the Easter holidays.

He just wanted to talk about how the team was going and indicated he might be going to England early to play some cricket and generally prepare himself for the tour, Carew said. He seemed keen to return.

Lara could also work his way back to match readiness by playing for Queen's Park in Trinidad and Tobago's current club championship.

We're now playing National League matches from 10 a.m to 6 p.m so it's a long day and it would be a good workout for him, said Queen's Park manager Bryan Davis, who also celebrated his birthday yesterday.

It would be great to have him back, if only for a few rounds, but we haven't heard from him. We're only two points behind Powergen [the leaders] in the championship race.

Davis, the former West Indies opening batsman, said another West Indies player, fast bowler Merv Dillon, was back in the nets and was keen to get back into action.

Dillon was dropped after the first two One-Day Internationals in the triangular series with Pakistan and Zimbabwe and hasn't been chosen in the Test team since the first Test against Australia in Port-of-Spain 14 months ago.

Davis said he hadn't played for Queen's Park yet this season and needed to get into shape to be in contention for a place on the tour of England.