Sport | Cricket

Lara keen to avoid India and Australia

Two massive victories in qualifying for the ICC Champions Trophy has boosted the confidence of West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara ahead of the main round of the biennial limited-overs tournament.

  • AP
  • Published: 23:34 May 3, 2009
  • Gulf News

Jaipur: Two massive victories in qualifying for the ICC Champions Trophy has boosted the confidence of West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara ahead of the main round of the biennial limited-overs tournament.

A victory tomorrow against fellow-qualifier Sri Lanka will put the West Indies in Group B of the main round, which includes Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand.

A loss will see the defending champions take on world champion Australia, England and India in Group A.

"It's a very, very important game, we would love to continue the momentum going and so is Sri Lanka," Lara said of tomorrow's match.

"No team wants to pick themselves up from a loss going into the more important stage of the tournament," he added.

The West Indies - winner of the Champions Trophy in England two years ago - has lost just one wicket in its two qualifying matches with opening batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle, starring with Lara in both games.

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