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Gordon Greenidge asked the question the other night that he will soon have to answer in his role as one of the West Indies selectors.

"Who'll be the top six in the World Cup?" he wondered on television commentary without providing any clues as to his solution to the obvious conundrum that has to be solved once captain Carl Hooper and Brian Lara return from their enforced absence.

Presuming that the operation on Hooper's damaged knee that has kept him out of the current series in Bangladesh is successful, and that Lara has fully recovered from the illness that laid him low during the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, space has to be made for them.

It means a couple of the exciting young batsmen now engaged against Bangladesh – Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels and Ricardo Powell – would have to give way.

Powell, who has only just returned to the team, would be the first choice. But the others have all done so well in the preceding victorious One-Day series in India and in the three matches here that it would be harsh judgement to omit any one come February 9 and the opening World Cup match against South Africa in Cape Town.

For the moment, Hooper and Lara are missing and the choices that have to be made by chief selector Sir Viv Richards, captain Ridley Jacobs and coach Roger Harper are for the first Test against Bangladesh, starting here Sunday.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the only batsman with more than three years international experience left, has also been out of the three One-Day Internationals but is ready to resume his place in the 11 as the cut on his right hand sustained in the final match in India has now healed.

The options for omission here are straightforward, either Ricardo Powell or Daren Ganga who offer distinctly contrasting methods at No. 6.

Powell, whose only previous Test was against New Zealand in Christchurch three years ago, is the boundary-hitting aggressor capable of demolishing Bangladesh's limited bowling with a sizeable total already in the book.

Ganga, who has had 17 Tests either at the top or in the middle, is the solid accumulator best suited to stabilising the innings.

Given the selection of four fast bowlers for the final Test in India just over a month ago and chairman Richards' comments that it is the tried and trusted preference, no change is expected here, whatever the appearance of the pitch.

There are six fast bowlers to choose from and, following his success in the One-Day matches, Vasbert Drakes would be the first name written down to make his belated Test debut.

He may be 33, but is an experienced cricketer whose value has been obvious since his return to the team for this tour after seven years.

The three to join him would be Jermaine Lawson and Darren Powell, the two pacy young Jamaicans who were impressive in Calcutta, and left-armer Pedro Collins, provided his strained back is fully recovered after the lengthy rest it had had.

© Barbados Nation