da premier bet： Already shorn of the three fast bowlers used in the preceding seriesagainst South Africa and their leading batsman, the West Indies areconfident, more than just hopeful, that they won’t be further weakenedby injuries for the first Test against
Tony Cozier18-Jul-2001Already shorn of the three fast bowlers used in the preceding seriesagainst South Africa and their leading batsman, the West Indies areconfident, more than just hopeful, that they won’t be further weakenedby injuries for the first Test against Zimbabwe.Manager Ricky Skerritt said yesterday vice-captain Ridley Jacobs, legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine and fast bowler Reon King should all haverecovered from various ailments to be ready come the first balltomorrow.Already, Merv Dillon and Cameron Cuffy, who joined the retired greatCourtney Walsh to spearhead the attack against the South Africans,have had to return home as has world double record-holder Brian Lara.Jacobs, the solitary wicket-keeper in the squad of 16, promptedunderstandable concern on Monday when he was confined to bed with whatwere thought to be the early symptoms of flu.He took no part in the last day of the drawn match against Zimbabwe Aat Kweke, but Skerritt said that move was precautionary more thananything else.Ridley’s still sniffling but he’s much improved and I’d expect him tobe in good order for the Test, he said.Jacobs has played in every Test and One-Day International since he wasbelatedly brought into the team on the tour of South Africa nearlythree years ago.He was already disqualified from the second and final Test, startingin Harare June 23, by match referee Dennis Lindsay’s suspension for anincident in the preceding triangular one-day series with India andZimbabwe.Courtney Browne, originally chosen to replace him for the subsequenttour of Zimbabwe, has had his arrival brought forward in thecircumstances. But he does not arrive in Zimbabwe until tonight, toolate to come in should Jacobs be incapacitated.It is a potentially embarrassing situation Mike Findlay and hisselection panel might want to consider when they come to pick the teamfor the next tour, to Sri Lanka in November and December.Ramnarine, who replaced Mahendra Nagamootoo following the One-Dayseries, strained side muscles in bowling 44 overs and King had lowerback problems after 28.4 overs in three-day match against thePresident’s XI in Harare that ended on July 11.Skerritt noted that team therapist Ronald Rogers had given Ramnarine atrial, bowling in the nets, but didn’t push him too hard.Ronald seems convinced Ramnarine will be fit enough to be availablefor selection but we won’t be certain until our final practice sessiontomorrow (today), he said.According to Skerritt, King was in good enough shape to have played inthe most recent match against Zimbabwe A but the spate of injuries hadinfluenced the tour committee to rest him.King and fellow Guyanese Colin Stuart seem the two certain fastbowling choices, with Marlon Black and Corey Collymore contending forthe third place.Stuart, overlooked since his two debut Tests in Australia in December,is a wholehearted bowler who keeps surprising batsmen with hisdeceptive pace. In the recent high-scoring match at Kweke, his returnof five for 58 from 17 overs was in stark contrast to the unflatteringfigures of Collymore (none for 102 from 19) and Black (three for 122from 29).Black, returning to the team as one of two replacements since themugging in Australia in February that injured his bowling shoulder,had little time to settle down. But Collymore’s figures belied thecontrolled bowler who earned the Man-Of-The-Match award in the finalof the One-Day series.If there are justifiable concerns that the patch-work bowling will behard-pressed to dismiss Zimbabwe twice on reliable pitches, evenwithout their injured talisman Andy Flower and even given the presentinternal problems, the West Indies batting starts the match inexcellent order.Chris Gayle, the tall, powerful left-handed opener, has emphaticallyconfirmed his appetite for big scores first established when he was aschoolboy and further endorsed in the last two Busta Cups. He hasreeled of scores of 259 not out, 164 and 99 in successive innings witha combined total of 67 fours along with four sixes that all came inhis last innings.Skerritt rated Gayle’s hitting the hardest he had ever seen and hisimprovement from the batsman who struggled in English conditions lastyear remarkable.He has worked on his game and he is now more selective in his shotsand is hitting the ball along the ground, he said. Above all, he isplaying with tremendous confidence.No one else has managed a hundred but captain Carl Hooper was onlyfive short at Kweke and only Wavell Hinds of the others has failed topass 50.Only the form of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (8, 52, 0 and 17 in the buildup matches) is cause for concern in the batting for someone fillingthe No.3 position.