India will be favourites at World Twenty20, claims Brian Lara

West Indian veteran warns about the threat Dhoni's men possess in the upcoming World Twenty20

West Indies batting legend great Brian Lara believes the Indian cricket team is still a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming World Twenty20 despite its inconsistent performance lately.

While India lost the Twenty20 series against South Africa recently, Lara still warns about the mayhem they could cause to other teams in the competition.

"I think the Indian team playing at home is very dangerous team. And they proved that during (by winning) the World Cup in 2011 in India under Dhoni,” Lara told reporters, as quoted by NDTV.

“They have got very exciting players and versatile.

"I expect them to be favourites in the tournament (Twenty20 World Cup). I know home pressure is always there. I think the guys have grown a lot and I believe they have got a very good chance in the World Cup."

Read: South Africa beat India in first ODI

Commenting on coaching the West Indian side, Lara maintained that his involvement would not make any difference since the national side suffers from the problem of mediocre infrastructure and administration.

However he acknowledged and commended the talent of West Indian players and reasserted the need for proper administration if the national side aspired to winning championships on international forum.

"If I was to get involved mentoring or coaching the West Indies team I don't think there is going to be any big difference. I think our problem is very deep-rooted. Our infrastructure is pretty average and administratively we are not doing a good job,” he said.

PHOTO: AFP

"I don't believe any one person can create any magic at the top level and see different performances.

"I still believe that West Indies players are some of the most talented players in the world and especially the teenagers coming in. What we tend to do in West Indies is that we take very good talent and make it into mediocre talent. You need a good administrative board to work in harmony with you.

"I would love to make a difference but I feel it has got to be from ground up. Hopefully sometimes in the near future we will be able to do that," Lara added.

Read: India take on South Africa with one eye on World Twenty20

Additionally, responding to a question whether he retired too early in his career, Lara explained that he never batted for records and his decision to depart from cricket was solely based on his on emotional state considering it was the ‘right time to leave’.

"I may have a couple of records but I really didn't go there to bat for records. Scoring 12,000 runs was not important...I felt it was the right time to leave. I still believe that I enjoyed playing with the teams I played with."

Lara furthered specified that he enjoys being in India because of the passion Indian people possess towards the game of cricket.

"Even during my cricket days, India is a place where I really loved coming to. I love the Indian people for the passion they carry through their life every single day. Some of my very special friends Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, M S Dhoni and Virat Kohli...these are wonderful examples of Indians with great passion."