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They had to tackle the toughest bit first in nominating Carl Hooper as captain. They got through another intricate exercise in naming a squad of 13 yesterday, but the West Indies' selectors most complex problem arrives on Friday morning when they have to decide on the final eleven for the first Test against South Africa at Bourda.

They have picked seven batsmen, the wicket-keeper, one spinner and, by established custom, a surfeit of four fast bowlers on a pitch with a reputation as the slowest and lowest in the Caribbean.

If they are to maintain a balanced eleven, as they should, they have to omit one of the three fast bowlers who are not within six wickets of 500 in Tests and a batsman.

It is the latter decision that will test them most. The recalled Chris Gayle, the tall, 21-year-old Jamaican, and his countryman Wavell Hinds are the new opening pair and are certain to play.

They are the first left-handers to go in first for the West Indies since Roy Fredericks and Ron Headley against England at the Oval, London, in 1973.

Brian Lara's place is presumably guaranteed, whether he prepares by playing cricket or playing mas.

So it boils down to a choice of one out of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Marlon Samuels.

Chanderpaul, recovered from the foot injury that ended his Australian series after the first Test and required an operation, is an experienced, reliable and versatile batsman, aged 26 and with a Test average of 40.

Sarwan and Samuels are 20, have shown their promise at Test level and hold out hope for the future for West Indies cricket.

Whoever has to sit it out this time, chief selector Mike Findlay has a job explaining to him why.

Predictably, Findlay and his panel have made wholesale changes from the team so severely beaten in Australia recently.

Five of those who appeared in the Tests there join displaced captain Jimmy Adams in the out tray.

They are Adams vice-captain Sherwin Campbell, opener Daren Ganga, fast bowlers Marlon Black (still injured after his assault outside a Melbourne nightclub), Colin Stuart and leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo.

Like Chanderpaul, fast bowler Merv Dillon is fit again after surgery on a similar foot injury that sidelined him after the fourth Test in Australia.

Gayle and Trinidad and Tobago leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine reclaim their places after outstanding performances in the Busta International Series and Reon King is reinstated as one of the four fast bowlers.

Gayle, dropped after last summer's tour of England and reported for problems of attitude, demanded selection with 846 Busta runs at an average of 70.50. His record last season was 623 runs at 56.63.

It is a long time since a young West Indian batsman has shown that appetite for runs.

Ramnarine, whose last Test was in New Zealand in December, 1999, reclaimed his place above the faster, flatter Nagamootoo through his 41 wickets (average 18.58) that were significantly more than anyone else.

Hooper, Lara, Chanderpaul, Dillon, King, wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs, the venerable Courtney Walsh (now with 494 wickets to his name) and Nixon McLean survive from the last series between the teams, in South Africa.

It is debatable whether that is an advantage. The West Indies lost all five Tests.

© The Barbados Nation