``I can't afford for any outside thing to influence my game, and I am just looking to focus on my cricket,'' 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 Thursday.

Lara, 31, remained unprepared to comment on claims by an Indian bookmaker, contained in a report issued by the Indian Central Bureau of Investigation, that he accepted 40,000 US dollars to under-perform in two one-day games in India in 1995. But, buoyed by a confidence-boosting century against an Australian Cricket Board Chairman's X1 in a carnival game at Lilac Hill Park, Caversham, near here, Tuesday, he spoke to the media direct for the first time since the team arrived in Australia four days ago.

``You read a lot of distracting things, but if we put our minds together we can have a good tour,'' he said. ``Nothing can distract me.'' 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 Wednesday he sees himself a pivotal part of the West Indies' 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. ``I have got to get back to the point where I am able to perform as I did in the past,'' 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).

``I had a terrible series in England last northern summer when I didn't perform as I wanted to. I came off a break, and things didn't go well. But this is a different tour. Australia has always brought out the best in me, and I am looking forward to this series.

``I place a lot of expectations on myself, and I know the guys are expecting a lot, too, but not more than I do. 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.

``This is a very important tour, and I have to play a very important part. 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.

``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. 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.''

Lara said he had a few niggles after belting 108 from 107 balls in Tuesday's one-day hitout. ``But these are not going to stop me from playing over the three and a half months of the tour,'' he said. ``I was happy to get runs, and as a result of that innings I am mentally stronger.''

Lara said it would be hard for him to scale the heights he achieved six years ago. Consistency is something I crave a lot,'' he said. ``I would love to have a series like the one against Australia in the Caribbean (when he hit 546 runs at an average of 91, with three centuries).

``That is my main aim now. I believe that with good performances from myself, plus a few other players, we can leave here having surprised Australia. To beat Australia in Australia would be an enormous feat for us. We can do it. If we can take something from the Caribbean series, we have a lot to work with. To beat Australia would be hard, but I believe it could happen.''

Meanwhile, veteran star fast bowler Courtney Walsh, who arrived here Tuesday, has a problem -- no gear. It went missing during his long flight from London. Team manager Ricky Skerritt said Wednesday that meant Walsh, holder of the Test wicket-taking record with 483 scalps, would probably not play in the match starting Thursday.

The tourists' team was to be announced later Wednesday