West Indies captain Brian Lara has allayed apprehensions that the contract row between the players and the West Indies Cricket board would jeopardise the third cricket Test against India starting at St Kitts today.
"I am not authorised to speak on it so I would refrain from saying anything on the matter. As far as we are concerned, we are going ahead with the Test. I have not seen any unease among players because of the pay matter. Everyone is looking forward to the game," Lara told reoprters ahead of the third Test.
Turning to the match, Lara said he expected the pitch at St Kitts' Warner Park to favour batsmen.
"It is certainly harder than before but I would still expect it to favour batsmen."
Lara, whose second innings century in the second Test at St Lucia helped West Indies draw the match, said his team had no fitness worry except for Dwayne Bravo who was down with the flu virus.
"He didn't come out to practice but we expect him to turn up well today."
Lara said his team would look to take a leaf out of India's sheet in terms of big scores from his batsmen. "Indians have said they looked forward to applying pressure on the West Indies by piling up big scores, and I would expect my batters to do the same.
"On hindsight, it was disappointing that we did not pile up a big score in the first innings of the Antigua Test after getting them out cheaply for 243. I certainly expected my batsmen to pile up 400 plus and even 500 runs on that pitch."
Lara did not hide his disappointment over not getting the team he wanted. "It's unfortunate that the selectors and I don't seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. I guess we have to play with what we have got," he said.
Lara had publicly pleaded with the selectors to get an "out-and-out fast bowler" to put the Indian batsmen in discomfort. He also said the selectors had not specified their reasons for not heeding his request.
Lara also said his side was relieved they did not have to face off-spinner Harbhajan Singh in the first two Tests. "He is a top class spinner and his record shows that. On hindsight, if he had played in Antigua on the last day and even in St Lucia, he would definitely have been more handful than Sehwag. It was fortunate for us that it did not happen."
