Lara set to make comeback in tour opener

Caribbean batting superstar Brian Lara and wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs will both make comebacks from injury on Saturday when West Indies play Sri Lanka `A' in a three-day practice game.

Lara pulled out from the West Indies tour to Zimbabwe in July because of a hamstring injury and Saturday's game will be his first first-class game in over three-months.

He did score a hundred for Trinidad in a domestic one-day match but admits to not having fully recovered from the injury, which he first sustained during the West Indies tour of England last year.

The team management, though, believed the inclusion the partially fit record breaking left-hander was a risk worth taking during a tough tour of Sri Lanka.

The 31-year-old took part a full part in a grueling three-hour training session at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo and afterwards captain Carl Hooper confirmed that Lara would play in the tour opener.

"We have got a couple of niggles in the squad, Sarwan has a sore back and Colin Stuart as a side strain, but Brian (Lara), though not fully fit, has been passed fit enough to play tomorrow," said Hooper.

Jacobs had been suffering from a partially healed broken finger for the best part of three years before being forced to take a break in Zimbabwe. During the recovery process, however, the finger was infected, delaying his recovery and preventing him from keeping wicket during the pre-tour training camp.

"The swelling has now come down after treatment with antibiotics and he is now ready to start playing first-class cricket again," said team manager Ricky Skerrit.

The West Indies have picked a full-strength side in the warm-up, as they quickly try to acclimitise to Sri Lankan conditions before the first Test in 10 days time.

"In an ideal world we would have liked to give everyone a hit before the Test series, but just two weeks until the first Test we need get the key players in nick as quickly as possible," said Hooper.

West Indies will open the batting with left-hander Chris Gayle and compact Daren Ganga. Ramnaresh Sarwan will play despite his sore back and bat number three, with Lara and Hooper playing in the middle order.

Interestingly, there is no place for leg-spinner Dinanath Ranarine, who therefore looks an unlikely starter in the Test line-up. Left-arm spinner Neil McGarrell is the frontline slow bowler and he will be supported by Hooper's off-breaks.

Fast bowler Marlon Black, who impressed against Australia last year but was then sidelined after a horrific attack outside a Australian nightclub, makes a welcome comeback as support for Reon King and Mervyn Dillon.

Sri Lanka have selected a young but strong A squad, captained by Hashan Tillakaratne, which includes six players with Test match experience.

West Indies team:

Carl Hooper (Capt), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Marlon Samuels, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervyn Dillon, Reon King, Leon Garrick (12th man)

Sri Lanka A squad:

Hashan Tillakaratne (Capt), Ian Daniel, Pradeep Hewage, Michael Vandort, T.M. Dilshan, Thilan Samaraweera, Prassana Jayawardene, Upul Chandana, Dinusha Fernando, Gayan Wijekoon, Dilhara Lokuhettige, Dammika Sudharshana, Kaushalya Lokuarachchi