Lara warns players ahead of tough schedule
Brian Lara advised his players to be "focussed mentally and physically" as they prepare for the next 18 months of cricket
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Lara, who has been through the rigours of international cricket for 15 years, said the upcoming period would be crucial, as the West Indies look to rebuild a team for the long-term future of the side. "We will have burn-outs and we will have injuries at some time, but the exposure the West Indies team will be getting will be very important and I hope that the guys will see it necessary to get themselves fully focussed-mentally and physically. It's necessary for us to play and wind our way back to the top."
The West Indies are presently in Malaysia where they face Australia and India in the DLF Cup Tri-Nation one-day series next week. They will move on to the Champions Trophy in India in October and November and, from there, on to Pakistan for three Tests and five ODIs. In January, they return to India for five one-dayers and will be home for the 2007 World Cup in March and April.
They then have four Tests, three ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals on the summer tour of England. After England, there will be the international Twenty20 series, Test tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa, and Test visits from Sri Lanka and Australia from March to June, 2008. Lara cautioned that fatigue and injury would always be factors. "Burn-out will always be a factor and there will always be a concern. I hope, however, that the guys don't miss the most important parts of the two-year period.
"We want to play cricket. We are languishing near the bottom of world cricket in both forms of the game, so we need to play cricket to lift our game, and we need to start winning to lift our spirits."
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