"Test cricket is my game. It is a game I really love to play. Before being asked to captain the team for the third time, I tried to guide my career in the direction of playing more Test cricket and less one-day games," Lara, Test cricket's leading scorer, said here yesterday.

Lara, who is in Dubai to appear on the Chevrolet Cricket Show, is not in awe with the Twenty20 format either. Incidentally, a Twenty20 competition — $1 million Stanford Twenty20 Tournament — is being held in West Indies, featuring 19 Caribbean nations.

"I don't think it (Twenty20) tests the ability of players like Tests do. But it is good for the crowd. You are playing a sport, and sport is all about spectators."

Lara, who has 11, 505 Test runs and 32 centuries to his credit, said it is also necessary to produce results in Tests to keep interest in the game alive.

As of now, the 37-year old Lara has plans to play till the next England tour. "There are some cricketers who played well even after 40s," Lara pointed out.

But he is quite clear about the timing of his retirement: "If I become a liability to the team, I will definitely step away."

Commenting on the World Cup to be held in his country next year, the batting genius said Australia and South Africa are the favourites.

"Any side who has the capability to score more than 400 in one-dayers should be the favourites. Both the teams played very well in their last tour to West Indies," said Lara.

As for his side's chances in the World Cup, he said, "It is a step-by-step process. We played well against Zimbabwe and India in the recent ODI series. Now our immediate priority is to defend the Champions Trophy in October."

Lara, who is to face an investigation from a West Indies Cricket Board committee over his controversial remarks on selection policies and pitches in the recent Test series against India, exuded confidence that all the issues would be settled amicably.

"I understand that I do have a meeting when I get back home. Sometimes I was very disappointed with the way how things went and I voiced my opinion. It was also spur of the moment. I feel it was fair. But at the end of the day, we have to consider all opinions, including the board members, selectors and captain."

Talking about Dwayne Brawo not receiving the retainer contract from WICB, Lara said, "He is a key player...one of the best all-rounders in the team. I am sure the issue of contracts will be sorted out very soon."

Lara, who has a penchant for rewriting batting records at will, has a different view on excessive cricket. "It may be true in the case of big cricketing nations. They are playing between themselves more often. A lot of factors involved in it, like crowd, big money, television rights, etc."

"I am fine with the sort of itinerary and fixtures we have," he added.

Asked to react about former England captain Nasser Hussain's comments that the English didn't sledge him because they don't want to wake him up, Lara said, "I don't know why they didn't sledge me. May be because I am the oldest cricketer around (smiles). Ya, it does spur me on. You try not to sledge Steve Waugh. Because it helps him raise his game. I think it has a similar effect on me too."

Another subject that Lara emphasised is the lack of adequate infrastructure and coaching academies harming the prospects of upcoming talents in his country.

"I believe we have the best talent in the world. But their advancement from the junior to the senior level is not good as, say in countries like Australia, India or England, where they have better facilities."

He also said the popularity of football (Trinidad and Tobago played in this year's World Cup football finals) hasn't affected cricket negatively.