Lara Out of One-Day Tournament

West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara has been ruled out of the T&T team which will participate in Regional Limited Overs Championships later this month in Guyana and Barbados.

This was revealed by Dudnath Ramkessoon, chairman of the senior national selection panel, who that Lara was advised by the West Indies Cricket Board?s medical officer in T&T, Dr Terry Ali, to rest.

Lara, who recently led the West Indies cricket team to victory against England in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament, visited Dr Ali earlier this week suffering with some niggling injuries.

The left-handed batsman was struck a painful blow to the neck by Pakistan?s fast bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, during the tournament.

?A medical report was submitted by Dr Ali to the West Indies Cricket Board, which advised the T&T Cricket Board that the West Indies skipper should take a rest from the game,?Ramkessoon said.

Lara was originally named in a 14-man squad for the tournament, which bowls off in Guyana on October 16.

Also ruled out of the tournament is fast bowler Mervyn Dillon, who is still suffering from a sore shoulder and side strain, which he sustained during the ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

Dillon also visited Dr Ali and was advised to take things lightly.

Ramkessoon said that several players are suffering with slight injuries and are being attended by local doctors.

The former West Indies youth captain said that Jamaican-born batsman Ricardo Powell, who made his debut for T&T in this year?s Carib Beer Regional Cricket Series, is also suffering a slight wrist injury but practiced with the national team at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain on Monday.

Ramkessoon added that middle-order batsman Shazam Babwah is down with a groin injury and is being attended to by Dr Terrence Babwah.

West Indies ?B? left-handed batsman Gregory Mahabir has been chosen as the replacement for Lara, while the selectors, headed by Ramkessoon, along with Roland Sampath and David Williams are yet to decide who will come in the side for Dillon.

Fast bowler Theodore Modeste has been placed on stand-by, but he, too, is suffering from a slight injury.

The T&T cricketers will begin their quest for top honours when they take on last year?s beaten finalist, Barbados, in the opening round of the tournament on October 16, at the Enmore Cricket Ground in East Coast, Demerara.

T&T will play the Windward Islands in two friendly matches tomorrow and Sunday at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, in preparation for the tournament.