Bermudians have been going to see Brian Lara in the Caribbean for over a decade so the West Indies cricket captain decided it was high time he returned the compliment.

Now on his first trip to the Island, the batting icon expressed thanks for the massive support Bermudians give his team annually and said he was pleased to finally get here after several invitations.

"The love Bermudians have for our cricket in the West Indies - thousands of them come to Barbados and Antigua - has really and truly sparked my interest in the place and I have a friend who is always inviting me to come out to Bermuda.

"The people are very friendly and they speak so highly of Bermuda that you want to come. Bermudians are interested in cricket and they have played in our regional One-Day tournament already. I saw this as an opportunity to spread my wings and reach out to them.

"A lot of people see me on a cricket field but many of them don't know about Brian off the field. This place is virgin territory for me so I am happy to come and be part of Bermuda for a week and hopefully this can continue for many more years," said Lara, adding he would like Bermudians to travel a little further south and give Test cricket in his homeland, Trinidad & Tobago, a try also.

The 34-year-old, who holds the records for the highest individual batting scores in Test (375) and first-class cricket (501 not out), is the guest of the Eastern Counties Cricket Association (ECCA) to mark their 100th match tomorrow at Lord's.

On his first day in Bermuda yesterday, the left-handed genius caused near pandemonium in Hamilton as he made a surprise stop on Front Street to greet a bunch of children carrying cricket gear. The group clamoured for Lara posters and autographs as some adults queried if they could get in on the act too.

"It was crazy. He was like `Stop the car' and he just got out with the posters and the children went wild," recounted Thalia Lightbourne, the ECCA Event Coordinator.

Lara, who has some of his West Indies colleagues with him, is eagerly looking forward to his coaching session with junior cricketers on Sunday morning and then showcasing his talent in Bermuda for the first time later that evening.

"Getting the kids out and having them mix with some of the West Indies stars will be a very big occasion.

"This is something that's important. This is where I started - youth cricket. I had my role models who I idolised and I suppose if you're a cricketer in Bermuda you lean towards the West Indies.

"I know a lot of them like (Ramnaresh) Sarwan but he had a commitment this weekend in New York so he couldn't come but we're going to be back so you will see all the great players coming here," he promised.

As for what fans can expect from him when the Brian Lara Select oppose the Bermuda Select at the National Sports Centre, the top-rated Test batsman smiled and said it's going to be "serious cricket".

"We're going to be getting our act together and it's going to be a serious game of cricket. I know if we play seriously that people think the game might be over quickly, that we might beat the opposing team in no time. No, we're going to spend 100 overs out there and play cricket but it's not going to be fun cricket. It's not going to be cricket where guys are going to be tossing balls up and having a laugh.

"It's my first time in Bermuda and I'm going to try and leave an impression. I'm not going to give my wicket away. I'm going to try as much as possible to show them what I am capable of."