Brian Lara has withdrawn from the West Indian tour of India due to illness, although the team management has refused to confirm whether he is suffering from hepatitis. "Brian has been advised by medical specialists that he will miss the West Indies' immediate cricketing commitments," said Ricky Skerritt, the West Indian team manager. "That will obviously rule him out of the Indian tour and I have advised the West Indian selectors that a replacement will be needed."

Speculation about Lara's illness has been rife. TV commentators at the start of Australia's match against Bangladesh in Colombo had first confirmed that the tests had proved positive, then, two hours later, dismissed the reports as rumours. Lara had been admitted to a local hospital on Tuesday, September 17, after scoring a century in West Indies' victory over Kenya.

"Brian had been feeling below par for a couple of days but was well enough to take part in the game against Kenya," said Skerritt. "When he came in from batting he was in obvious discomfort and the doctor was consulted." He asked the media to respect Lara's privacy.

Sri Lanka has not been a happy place for Lara in recent months, despite his fantastic form with the bat. The last time he was in the country, in December 2001, he dislocated his elbow after colliding with a fielder, Marvan Atapattu, during an ODI shortly after scoring 688 runs in three Tests, at an average of 114.67.

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