Brian Lara training hard to be part of IPL

The former West Indies captain was part of the rebel Indian Cricket League, but did not enjoy a fruitful experience. He was in India during the last IPL.

Carew said he was not surprised when Lara expressed his desire of returning to big-time cricket. "He indicated his intentions to me earlier this year. He is very determined to do well and is certainly going to succeed. I expect to see good things from Brian in this tournament and I am sure he will be worth the price a team pays for him," said Carew over the phone from Trinidad.

Asked whether he would be in peak physical condition to counter the best in a format not exactly suited to older cricketers, Carew said, "He has been training hard - running and working out in the gym. It doesn't take him long to get fit. He will be near-peak fitness soon."

Carew indicated that Lara was missing the game. "When you have spent a while being involved in something which you love so much, it is very difficult to avoid it for long. I expected him to return and this is his big opportunity now," he said.

Left handed Lara played in in Zimbabwe's domestic Twenty20 competition a few months ago. "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," he was quoted as saying with regards to the IPL.

Top bracket ($400,000) men Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, James Anderson, Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Yuvraj Singh, Daniel Vettori, Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Graeme Smith, AB de Villiers, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle.

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