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As the West Indies start their current tour of Sri Lanka, Tony Cozier, who will cover the Tests and One-Day Internationals for THE NATION newspapers, provides a player- by-player assessment of the team.

Carl Hooper: As he has immediately shown, he, more than anyone, is the key to success. Already a quality, but enigmatic, all-round cricketer, his promotion to the captaincy has revealed a changed character, a leader looked up to by the young brigade. A master against spin, he can give the lead in countering the menace of Muralitheran.

Ridley Jacobs: A damaged finger might have kept some other keepers at home but Jacobs has repeatedly proved he's made of much sterner stuff. There is no more valuable member of the team, on the field or in the dressing room, and, if he'll find Murali's spin more of a puzzle than some of the others, he won't be intimidated by it.

Chris Gayle: No recent young batsman has scored as heavily or consistently or punched the ball harder. His appetite for runs and will to improve were evidenced in a succession of hundreds in Zimbabwe and Kenya and then on his return home. Now comes a different challenge in new conditions against one of the finest off-spinners of all time on his own patch.

Daren Ganga: Yet another overseas assignment to follow previous tours of South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. On the latter trips, there was a growing confidence, more purpose to his strokes and a developing opening partnership with Gayle.

Leon Garrick: Small, right-handed and compact, he and Gayle formed an effective, right-handed/left-handed, Mutt- and-Jeff opening combination for Jamaica last season. A debut Test against South Africa (with a first-ball dismissal) and limited opportunities in Zimbabwe and Kenya have left him with still a lot to prove.

Wavell Hinds: Once his broken nose is mended in time and he manages to make it on to the field, there is plenty of lost ground to make up. A promising start that included an innings of 165 against the powerful Pakistanis in his fifth Test has been followed by inconsistent returns. In Chanderpaul's absence, the No.3 spot is vacant but the only way back is by regular scores.

Brian Lara: As always, there are more questions than answers to the game's most mercurial personality. Is he fit enough? Is he eager enough? Does he still care? Is he past it? Not all will be answered in the coming six weeks but, in the mood, the incomparable left-hander remains a potential match-winner.

Ramnaresh Sarwan: Still only 21, he is at the start of what could be a long and prosperous career. In his short time, he's had Tests against five opponents in four different countries and now comes another. His nimble footwork, quick eye and flexible wrists are marks of a special batsman, yet not more so than runs. But is No.3 his ideal position?

Marlon Samuels: It's less than a year since, aged 19, he was pitchforked into the tough Test series in Australia and handled it with the aplomb of a seasoned campaigner. Things come easily to an obviously talented cricketer but he should appreciate by now that Test cricket is not an easy game, not least in Sri Lanka. The time is now for a maiden first-class hundred and a few more besides.

Neil McGarrell: A captain's pick during last season's series against South Africa, he has delivered his left-arm spin capably in his three Tests, with four wickets in an innings three times out of six. A streetwise cricketer, he is always competitive and his attitude is clearly valued by Hooper.

Dinanath Ramnarine: Just when he seemed to have secured a settled place in the team, with 20 wickets in the home series against South Africa, a back strain sent him home from Zimbabwe. If pitches encourage turn, as they once did, his leg-breaks and googlies should be a significant part of the West Indies' strategy.

Merv Dillon: Out of the Test XI for more than a year- and-a- half, Dillon's 39 wickets (at 27.72) in his last nine Tests on return, against the might of Australia and South Africa, seemed to mark him as the one to lead the attack on Courtney Walsh's retirement. A knee injury sidelined him for the Tests in Zimbabwe in July but he remains the front- runner in the fast bowling stakes.

Pedro Collins: Since first coming into the Test team over three years ago against Australia as a sharp left- armer, he's had a patchy time of it. Mainly through a back problem, there was a break of more than three years between Tests before he played against Zimbabwe in July. Fit again, his form has been good, his enthusiasm obvious. He could be a surprise packet.

Colin Stuart: Aged 28 and around for some time, he stepped in to fill the breach left by Walsh's retirement and injuries to Dillon and Cameron Cuffy in Zimbabwe. He bowled fast and straight and never stopped trying. They are attributes he will need against batsmen of higher quality now.

Reon King: A couple of years back, he looked the genuine article, distinctly quick with good control and the ability to move the ball. He hasn't been the same since damaging his foot on the tour of England last year but, on his day, is the likeliest wicket-taker.

Marlon Black: Fast with a nice outswinger, he had four good Australian wickets in his first bowl in Test cricket last season. By the fourth Test, he was out of the team and later so badly mugged in a Melbourne street he was sidelined for over two months. His future in West Indies cricket probably depends on how he goes here.

© The Barbados Nation