CricInfo Home
News Home

NEWS FOCUS
Rsa in Pak
NZ in India
Zim in Aus

Domestic
Other Series

The West Indies fast bowling staff, heavily criticised for its lack of support of Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose during the summer series in England, has been drastically overhauled for the imminent Test tour of Australia.

But, in the 16 named yesterday to try to regain the Frank Worrell Trophy, the selectors made only a minimal change to the batting that has been the real cause of the abysmal record of 13 defeats, against one victory, in the last 15 overseas Tests.

With few options open to them, they have dropped left-handers Adrian Griffith and Chris Gayle and recalled Daren Ganga, the 21-year-old Trinidadian right-hander, as Sherwin Campbell’s only accredited opening partner.

They have also corrected the error of burdening Ridley Jacobs as the only official wicket-keeper in England, recalling Courtney Browne as his back-up. Browne’s last Test was against Sri Lanka in 1997.

A separate squad will be chosen for the triangular CUB Series of One-day Internationals, also involving Zimbabwe, that starts on January 11 following the five Tests.

Only two retained

Walsh, spurred by recent success and within 17 wickets of the once unthinkable standard of 500 wickets, and Nixon McLean are the only two fast bowlers retained from the Tests in England where the West Indies lost the series 3-1, surrendering the Wisden Trophy for the first time since 1973.

They are joined by Merv Dillon, who had the last of his seven Tests a year-and-a-half ago against Australia, and three newcomers: Marlon Black, Colin Stuart and 20-year old Kerry Jeremy.

Reon King, Franklyn Rose and Corey Collymore are all dropped from the team who toured England..

King and Rose have paid for their disappointing performances there, although King’s omission could have been compounded by a foot injury which is expected to take another six weeks to heal.

Collymore has not been the same bowler since his encouraging Test debut against Australia in April, 1999. In spite of a recurring back injury that put him out of action for eight months, he was rushed back into the team for England where his pace had noticeably decreased and he failed to gain Test selection.

Black, a massive Trinidadian with genuine speed, and Stuart, a hard-working Guyanese who has been in contention for some time, owe their inclusion principally to their returns in the recent “A” team home series against South Africa.

Rapid rise

Jeremy is a 20-year-old Antiguan whose attributes are control and outswing rather than speed and hostility.

He owes his rapid rise to his 32 wickets at under 20 runs each in eight matches last season, his first in first-class cricket, including a return of six for 81 for the Board XI against the touring Zimbabweans.

Jeremy was given his first international outing in the recent ICC Knockout Trophy tournament in Nairobi. Seemingly nervous, he went for 24 from his first two overs and finished with one for 54 from eight in the first-round loss to Sri Lanka.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s experience and proven reliability in the unreliable middle order have been recognised with his selection, although he has had only one first-class innings since the second Test at Lord’s late last June because of tendinitis in his right forearm.

He is one of seven in the team with previous experience of Australia. The others are Walsh, who made his debut in Perth in the 1984-85 series, Adams, Campbell, Lara, Browne and McLean.

The Tests against the strongest team in world cricket constitute the most daunting and physically demanding challenge for any West Indies team in Australia where the home team has won 12 of their last 15 Tests, losing only one.

The five Tests are packed into a schedule of six weeks, from November 23 to January 6.

© The Barbados Nation