Lara Will Play T&T North/South Classic

Brian Lara will play in the annual Gerry Gomez Memorial North/South Classic scheduled for Trinidad's Queen's Park Oval this Thursday, according to officials from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The champion batsman, coming off a debilitating illness, has been cleared by the regional authorities to play in the four-day game, WICB representative Richard De Souza told the Associated Press.

The all-star match will serve as the first taste of match-practice for Lara, who has been chosen in the 15-man squad for next month's World Cup in South Africa.

De Souza said the WICB gave special permission for Lara and fellow Trinidadians and World Cup team selections Merv Dillon and Darren Ganga to play in the North/South game.

The participation of Lara, Dillon and Ganga means the trio will arrive late to the World Cup preparation camp in Antigua which begins on Sunday. De Souza told the news agency the competition would give them better practice than net sessions at the Antigua camp.

"Lara is short of work and this will only help him get back in the groove," World Cup selector Joey Carew said.