- Trinidad Express
World Test record-breaking batsman Brian Lara, right, is greeted by well-wishers in Trinidad earlier this week after his historic innings of 400 not out. Lara will captain the one-day team in today's second match against touring England in Port-of-Spain.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):
BRIAN LARA will return from an injury to lead the West Indies in the second one-day cricket international against England at Queen's Park Oval today.
The West Indies skipper said yesterday that he will play despite a chipped bone in his right pinky finger.
"It's improved a lot," Lara said. "It's still not at the point where I'm totally comfortable but I think it's important that I try to get out there to play, even if I'm 75 per cent."
Lara, who broke the Test record score with his historic 400 not out in the final Test in Antigua nearly two weeks ago, said he was fully focused after his return to his home island.
"I tried to curb it a bit," Lara said. "I knew it was going to be a bit of a frenzy in the country. It went well. I'm still fresh and ready to play cricket and I'm still as focused as I can be."
TWO-WICKET LOSS
The West Indies trail 1-0 after a narrow, two-wicket loss in the seven-game series opener in Guyana on Sunday. But Lara said he was encouraged despite the defeat.
"Obviously, by our performance in the first game, that should have indicated that there is a great possibility that the West Indies can go on and win this series, and win it emphatically," Lara said.
Lara, who turns 35 in 10 days, said he was uneasy that the West Indies lost a winning position in the Guyana match.
"I'm slightly worried about something like that," he said. "I think it's something we've got to work on. It could become a mental deficiency and we're hoping that that does not happen."
England captain Michael Vaughan's main concern is his team's ability to cope with back-to-back matches today and tomorrow.
"The back-to-back games could be pretty tough, playing in the heat," he said. "It's something you have to accept and you have to go out and play ... But it's the same on any tour. You just have to get yourself up for it and make sure that you try and drain every little energy that you have in your body."
West Indies (from): Brian Lara (captain), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Shivna-rine Chanderpaul, Ricardo Powell, Dwayne Smith, Ridley Jacobs, Mervyn Dillon, Ravi Rampaul, Corey Collymore, Sylvester Joseph, Dwayne Bravo.
England (from): Michael Vaughan (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Anthony McGrath, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flin-toff, Chris Read, Rikki Clarke, Ian Blackwell, James Kirtley, James Anderson, Steve Harmison, Darren Gough, Gareth Batty, Ashley Giles.
