Viv Richards [Images] believes Brian Lara's [Images] appointment as West Indies [Images] captain for a third term is purely a commercial move ahead of the World Cup being staged in the Caribbean in March-April next year.

However, the batting great and former West Indies skipper believes the struggling home team can offer a stiff test to the touring India side, who are eyeing their first major Test series victory outside the sub-continent for two decades.

"While the hosts are busy using this [India tour] as a dry run for the game's biggest showpiece, West Indian cricket continues to spring one surprise after the other," Richards wrote in a syndicated column on Thursday ahead of the home series against India.

"The latest one has been the choice of Brian Lara as captain," he added.

"Clearly, it is a decision prompted by commercial considerations, keeping in mind the World Cup.

"It is also a decision that might last only till that tournament, and chances are that Lara's appointment was not a very popular decision among the players."

Richards, however, did add that the decision could have been forced due to the absence of any suitable candidate for the job.

The 37-year-old Lara took over after Shivnarine Chanderpaul [Images] resigned following a disastrous tour of New Zealand [Images], where the touring lost the three-Test series 2-0 and the one-dayers 4-1.

Chanderpaul had himself taken over early last year after Lara quit over a contracts dispute with the board.

Lara, among the finest batsmen in the history of the game, had been choosy in playing one-day cricket, but led the home team in all the games during last week's 5-0 sweep against Zimbabwe, displaying his keenness to play in the World Cup at home.

The West Indies board chairman Ken Gordon had given a vote of confidence to Lara after his appointment in April.

"It is logical to go back to Lara. He brings a lot to the table at this time which will make a material difference."

The first game of the five-match one-day series will be played in Jamaica on Thursday.

The teams will follow that series up with four Tests.