LONDON – Former West Indies captain Brian Lara, who two months ago ended a three-year break from competitive cricket, wants to make an entrance in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Lara played in Zimbabwe’s Twenty20 competition this October, and says he wants to be match-fit to get into the IPL’s 2011 season.
Lara told ESPNcricinfo that the league in Zimbabwe was not the toughest.
“If I was to give myself a chance to play in the IPL, then I need to start now,” he said. “I tried negotiating with Surrey in May and that fell through. I am not going to say that I am ready for the IPL.
“The option is around the corner, and I have put my name in the hat. But I need to play cricket regularly from now till then to get fit and capable of doing justice to the game and to my form in such a highly competitive league.”
Ideally, Lara said, his role in the lucrative competition would be similar to that of Shane Warne or Stephen Fleming, whose jobs with their franchises are described as being that of captain-coaches or ‘mentors’.
“I see myself in that light as well. I don’t want to be fighting with the youngsters for a game … left out today, playing tomorrow. I would like to see myself as someone who can make a contribution even if I am not in the final XI. I would like to get involved in a holistic way and not just as a player.” (ESPNcricinfo)
