Brian Lara, the former West Indian captain who two months ago ended a three-year break from competitive cricket, has said he wants to make an entrance in the Indian Premier League. 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." West Indies are currently No 8 in the ICC Test and ODI rankings, but while Lara was optimistic about the future of West Indies cricket, he rung a cautionary note. "There is still an abundance of talent. I believe that we still have some of the best youngsters in the world. You look at young Kemar Roach as a fast bowler; you look at Adrian Barath making a hundred in his debut Test at the Gabba. Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo's brother...these are very, very good players. "What I am worried about is those three-four years from teenage life to early twenties. What happens? Do they grab hold of international cricket? They can't do that by themselves. There's got to be a supporting team behind them to make sure that they elevate themselves very quickly to that level."
Lara felt the reason for West Indies' recent struggles did not lie with the players. "I see ordinary Australians get on the scene and in three or four years they are top-class players," he said. "I see [that] in the West Indies, really special young players get out there and struggle, [and] can't find their way. Something must be wrong with our system." The West Indies players and the administration have been at loggerheads in the recent past. The most recent controversy to dog the team was Chris Gayle's removal as captain after he, along with Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo, opted out of a central contract with the West Indies Cricket Board. While Lara did not comment on the players' decision, he said that Gayle's 333 in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle was a positive sign. "I think it is very important. Obviously he lost the captaincy, but I believe the way he handled it...getting a triple-hundred and putting the team in a position to possibly win a Test match in Sri Lanka. That's very good. It showed maturity, and that's what I like."