Guyana hopeful that globetrotting Hooper available for Red Stripe Bowl

Guyana's selectors are likely to include Carl Hooper in their squad for next month's Red Stripe Bowl, even though his contract with Lancashire will prevent him taking part in the El Dorado Five Star limited-overs tournament which forms the basis for selection.

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) neatly sidestepped a potential problem by ruling that players had to play in the tournament unless they had "a valid excuse". Hooper's contract with Lancashire would fall into that category.

If Hooper does compete in the tournament then his stay in the Caribbean might be brief. Reports are that he has signed a contract with a Melbourne club to play for them in the 2003-04 season. He is also considering a return to Old Trafford in 2004. "I would be delighted to stay on," he told the Manchester Evening News. "It has been a good move for me. I think the club know how I feel and the ball is in their court."

The preliminary rounds of the Red Stripe Bowl are from October 1 to 12 in Jamaica and Antigua with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Jamaica between October 16 and 19.