Surrey confirm Lara talks

Pa
Friday 16 April 2010 11:04 BST
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Surrey are in talks with Brian Lara about joining the club "in some capacity" but are unable to confirm the West Indian great's prospective new role.

Forty-year-old Trinidadian Lara retired from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup and has not played for two years.

It is thought his association with Surrey is most likely to be with an eye to this summer's Friends Provident T20 - a competition for which Surrey have already signed Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds and Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla as two of the permitted four overseas registrations.

Lara, whose last taste of competitive cricket came in the Indian Cricket League with the Mumbai Champs, has reportedly been spotted already in the Oval nets and has had talks with Surrey's cricket manager Chris Adams and chief executive Paul Sheldon. But Surrey were this morning sticking to the statement released late last night, adding only that they do not anticipate updating imminently with more information.

"Surrey County Cricket Club can confirm we have been in discussion with Brian Lara, regarding his possible involvement with the club in some capacity," Surrey's statement read.

"However, we have no further comment at this stage."

Lara averaged 52.88 in 131 Tests for the Windies and 40.48 in 299 one-day internationals.

He holds the highest individual score in Test cricket with 400 not out against England in Antigua in 2004.

The dashing left-hander previously played county cricket in two spells with Warwickshire, for whom he made a still world-record first-class individual score of 501 not out in 1994.

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