Hard work starts for India now, says Brian Lara

8220;It8217;s really good for India to beat Australia in Australia despite having a new captain leading in Tests and one-dayers. But Australia is going to come stronger and look for revenge. Hard work is going to start now,8221; Lara said.

8220;Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have done well but they will have to be on guard and not be complacent with the one-day tri-series win. They have to maintain the consistency,8221; he said on the sidelines of a promotional function at a city hotel.

India had defeated Australia 2-0 in the recently concluded best-of-three tri-series final, ending their ill-tempered tour Down Under on a positive note.

On Sachin Tendulkar8217;s electrifying performance in the two finals, Lara said there was never any doubt about the master batsman8217;s calibre but former Australian coach John Buchanan had provoked the Indian before the series.

8220;I have said it many times that he is a great player. I don8217;t want to repeat it. But John Buchanan made a mistake by lighting up fire under Sachin before the start of the series,8221; he said.

Buchanan had said that Tendulkar would find it difficult to handle the short pitched deliveries by the Australian fast bowlers.

Lara said the Twenty20 format of cricket had potential to grow into something bigger because it gave the players more options to play and earn.

8220;I am happy to have played some Test and one-dayers but Twenty20 is an interesting form. I am happy that I8217;m considered to play in this short format also,8221; said Lara, who announced his retirement from international cricket after failing to lead the West Indies to the ODI World Cup win at home.

8220;It T20 brings different kind of crowd to the ground. I don8217;t see any problem with it. It can evolve into something bigger in future,8221; he said.

Foreseeing great future for Indian Premier League and Indian Cricket League, Lara said the competitions would increase options for individual players to play and earn more.

8220;The situation is unavoidable. People need to wake up to the fact that there are options for players unlike in the past,8221; he said.

Lara also lamented that cricketers playing in ICL were being shunned by national boards like in New Zealand.

8220;They Boards got to get their act together, you cannot blame cricketer if he gets the chance to play in either of IPL or ICL. I have played in New Zealand. Once we 22 players played while entire stadium was empty while a crowd of 60,000 people was watching a rugby match in the adjacent ground.8221; 8220;Now corporates are owning teams in IPL. Certainly that has created more options and an individual can make choice wherever he wants to play and earn good money,8221; Lara said.

8220;Look at football, there are several leagues around the world. One player may be playing for one club next time he maybe playing for another club and there is no stigma like ICL players are termed rebels and banned from national teams.

Nobody is bothered who plays where,8221; he said.

On his own form in the inaugural edition of the ICL in which he captains the Mumbai Champs team, Lara admitted that he had a miserable stint.

Lara had scored just 16 runs from four matches in which he played only 24 balls. The fifth match, the only rubber Mumbai Champs won, Lara did not bat.

8220;I didn8217;t have good outing, I was injured but since I have commitment I had to honour it,8221; he said.