Lara to tour Sri Lanka despite injury

Star West Indian batsman, Brian Lara, has been given the all-clear to play in the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka according to a BBC Online report Monday, but doubts still linger over his fitness.

Doubts over Lara's participation in the tour had surfaced during the teams training camp in Jamaica this week when the 32-year-old left-hander revealed he was still suffering from a long-standing hamstring injury.

Lara went for a MRI scan on Wednesday and a fitness report was then handed over to the team management later in the week.

They had been speculation during the weekend that the report showed that there had been "no improvement" in the injury and the Trinadad Guardian even quoted "reliable sources" who said the team management was divided over whether Lara should tour if not fully fit.

However, team manager, Ricky Skerritt, said Sunday: "Having looked at the results, the doctors are satisfied. The last three days Brian has been training rather actively without any side effects."

But, according to Trinadad Guardian sources: "When the report came back from the doctor, it showed that there was no improvement on Lara's hamstring injury."

The newspaper then reports that an emergency meeting was then held on Thursday night, that included all team officials - manager, coach, captain, physiotherapist, the doctor in Jamaica and a West Indies Cricket Board representative - Lara's participation was apparently put to the vote and on health reasons, it was voted 4 -2 to leave him home.

This tough stance mellowed over the weekend when chairman of the selectors, Michael Findlay, said: "In the end though it will come down to how Brian feels about his own fitness and whether or not he can handle such a tour as lies ahead."

Lara has played before with the injury, which he first strained when West Indies toured England. He then played against Australia and South Africa with the injury before finally withdrawing from the recent tour to Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The West Indies are scheduled to play three Tests against Sri Lanka followed by a triangular series involving Zimbabwe in the eight week tour