SYDNEY, April 14: Brian Lara's superb world record Test innings will spur Australian Matthew Hayden to retrieve his old record, Australian Test vice-captain Adam Gilchrist predicted on Wednesday.

In a 13-hour batting marathon against England in Antigua, Lara broke Hayden's world-record individual Test score of 380 and went on to raise an unbeaten 400 before the West Indies declared in the fourth Test on Monday. But Gilchrist said the powerful Test opening batsman could soon again have another crack at the imposing record.

"I don't think it's anything Matty will linger over," Gilchrist said. "If anything ... he will push on and try and knock it off straight away." Gilchrist was at the other end when Hayden overtook Lara's 10-year-old record last October against Zimbabwe in Perth.

"I hadn't really thought a great deal about it till I saw Matthew himself on TV admit there was a fraction of disappointment there," Gilchrist said. "It was a huge achievement. I was lucky to be standing up the other end - it was a big moment for me too. To have that taken away after just five months - it must be an odd sort of feeling."

The highest individual score in Test cricket has only changed hands 10 times since Australian Charles Bannerman claimed it in the first-ever Test - against England - in 1877 scoring 165 not out.

Gilchrist said of Hayden's chances of reclaiming the record: "I think his powers of concentration are extraordinary and his love for batting long periods of time - he knows his game so well. "Potentially he has every chance of getting there but I don't think Matty will be aspiring to that as a No 1 goal."

His first opportunity may come against the troubled Zimbabwe in Africa next month. Meanwhile, Gilchrist said it's important for world cricket that Australia tours there next month. "If a power like Australia does pull out it could be the end of cricket for Zimbabwe - that's the last thing we want," Gilchrist said.

"It would be a long way back, if at all. There are several countries around where cricket is under pressure from various factors and we don't need to be dropping off and losing teams." Gilchrist's stance supports that of Cricket Australia which has declared only a heightened security risk will stop the world champions' tour proceeding.

International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani said it was powerless to intervene in the internal affairs of one of its members. Gilchrist said it would be disappointing if Australia was to face a severely-depleted Zimbabwean team.

"Ideally, every team would have its best team on the field - but it's hard for me to say, I haven't grown up in the countries where these issues are such high priorities," Gilchrist said of the issues confronting Zimbabwe cricket. -AFP