Guys are expecting a lot, but not more than I do 8212; Lara

PERTH, NOVEMBER 8: Record-breaking West Indian Brian Lara spoke here of his determination to focus on his cricket during the side's Austra...

PERTH, NOVEMBER 8: Record-breaking West Indian Brian Lara spoke here of his determination to focus on his cricket during the side8217;s Australian tour without being distracted by charges he had in the past accepted money to under-perform.

8220;I can8217;t afford for any outside thing to influence my game, and I am just looking to focus on my cricket,8221; he said as the team prepared for the opening first-class game of the tour a four-day clash against the strong Western Australian squad, starting here on Thursday.

Lara, 31, remained unprepared to comment on claims by an Indian bookmaker, contained in a report issued by the Central Bureau of Investigation CBI, that he accepted 40,000 to under-perform in two One-day games in India in 1995.

But, buoyed by a confidence-boosting century against an Australian Cricket Board Chairman8217;s XI in a carnival game at Lilac Hill Park, Caversham, near here, he spoke to the media direct for the first time since the team arrived in Australia four days ago.

8220;You read a lot of distracting things, but if we put our minds together we can have a good tour,8221; he said. 8220;Nothing can distract me.8221;

Lara issued a statement last week through the West Indies Cricket Board categorically denying match-fixing allegations, but he has refused to answer media questions on the burning issue.

He made it clear on Wednesday he sees himself a pivotal part of the West Indies8217; hopes of regrouping in time to offer credible competition to Australia, undisputed unofficial Test champions, in the five-Test series starting in Brisbane November 23.

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8220;I have got to get back to the point where I am able to perform as I did in the past,8221; said the left-hander who established two World records in 1994 the highest Test score 375 against England in Antigua and highest first-class total 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham.

8220;I had a terrible series in England last summer when I didn8217;t perform as I wanted to. I came off a break, and things didn8217;t go well.

8220;But this is a different tour. Australia has always brought out the best in me, and I am looking forward to this series.

8220;I place a lot of expectations on myself, and I know the guys are expecting a lot, too, but not more than I do.8220;Australia is a very good team, as demonstrated in the Caribbean early last year when they came back from 1-2 down to win convincingly in Antigua and retain the Frank Worrell Trophy.

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8220;This is a very important tour, and I have to play a very important part. 8220;I am one of 16 players here, but if I perform well, the guys can rally. They expect big things from me, and if everyone chips in at some point, I think we are going to have a team performance.

8220;The only way we are going to get victories is from a team performance, and if I am going to be the catalyst for that, so be it. I would love to be.

8220;I want to set myself up for each and every match. It is a matter of spending a lot of time in the nets, working on my game maybe something I have missed out in the past. But this, I believe, will bring a lot of success for me if I do that.8221;