Samuels, Lawson and Powell out of Jamaica squad

The first-class career of Robert Samuels, the former West Indies opening batsman, appears to be over after he was left out of Jamaica's 26-man training squad for the 2004 Carib Beer Series.

Samuels, 32, has been captain of Jamaica since Courtney Walsh's retirement in 2001, and he played six Tests and eight one-day internationals for West Indies between 1996 and 1997. He enjoyed reasonable success as Jamaica's captain and has been a consistent performer since making his first-class debut as a teenager in 1989.

In 106 first-class matches, Samuels scored 5,029 runs at an average of 31.47, including six centuries. He also scored a Test century and averaged 37.20 before he was surprisingly dropped from the West Indies team seven years ago and never recalled.

His likely successor as Jamaica captain is Wavell Hinds, but duties with the regional team at the start of the Carib Beer Series will make him unavailable. In the interim, either Gareth Breese, a former West Indies Under-19 captain, or Nehemiah Parry, the veteran offspinner, are the leading short-term contenders.

Another notable omission from the squad was Jermaine Lawson. The selection panel indicated that Lawson, who has been undergoing rehabilitative work on his suspect bowling action, will be added to the squad as soon as he is available. Leon Garrick, who played a single Test for West Indies against South Africa two years ago, is also omitted, as well as fast bowler Daren Powell, who is currently on contract with Gauteng in South Africa.