Lara eager to play alongside Warne, Mcgrath in Hong Kong sixes

Hong Kong, Oct 25 (UNI) Former West Indies captain Brian Lara's wait to return to the competitive cricket will be over when he rubs shoulder alongside retired Australian greats Shane Warne and Glenn Mcgrath at the Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong Cricket Sixes scheduled for October 27-28.

Lara, who retired from international cricket on April 19 this year, arrived in Hong Kong this morning and said he was eager to get into the thick of things at the Sixes with his 'All-Star team-mates' including two of his greatest rivals in his illustrious career, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

The 38-year-old said, ''It will be good to finally have two of my nemeses in Shane and Glenn on the same team with me.

I am looking forward to that and I will have a chance to keep wicket to them as well, so I will be receiving a few deliveries from them.'' ''It is going to be an exciting time, though, with Heath Streak and Geraint Jones and all the other guys I have played against over the years. The Sixes is exciting stuff and since I retired, this is my first stint back on the cricket field, so I am looking forward to it,'' he added.

The tournament, which is Hong Kong's annual carnival of elite cricket, was first played in 1992 and is famous for its frenetic pace and high-scoring action. This year's event will feature eight leading cricketing nations, including defending champions South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and England, plus hosts Hong Kong.

For the first time, an All-Star Team having some of the game's brightest stars will also take part in the competition.

Last year, an unfancied South Africa defeated four-time champions Pakistan in a thrilling final, while the hosts Hong Kong finished fifth.

UNI