West Indian legspinner Mahendra Nagamootoo was taken to hospital in Trinidad after being injured in a road accident in his native Guyana. The president of the Guyana Cricket Board Chetram Singh has already notified the West Indies Cricket Board that Nagamootoo will not be available for the third Test against India, which starts in Barbados on Tuesday.

The accident occurred on Thursday night when a mini-bus in which Nagamootoo was travelling ran off the road as it swerved to avoid a cow, causing him to sustain cuts to his face and bruises to other parts of the body.

"He is conscious and I don't think it's that serious but then again you don't know about internal injuries. There are some cuts on his face which required about 15 stitches," Singh told AFP.

Smith said the absence of Nagamootoo from the third Test match due to the accident would be "a great loss" because he is the "best spinner in the Caribbean at the moment".

Nagamootoo missed the second Test in Trinidad with a hamstring injury.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd