W Indies gamble on Griffith (25 March 1999)

25 March 1999

W Indies gamble on Griffith

By Peter Deeley in Bridgetown

WEST Indies will be strengthened by the return of Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the third Test against Australia, which begins here in Barbados tomorrow.

With the series standing 1-1, their experience will stiffen the batting but the home selectors are gambling with the inclusion of the Bajan left-hander Adrian Griffith, whose only previous appearance was against Australia in Adelaide more than two years ago.

Griffith, 27, who went in first wicket down when Barbados beat Trinidad and Tobago in the final of the first-class competition at Kensington Oval this week, is expected to take the place of Suruj Ragoonath at the top of the West Indies batting order.

Hooper was not available for the first two Tests because he was in Australia with his wife and their sick child. On his return, though, he led West Indies A against the tourists in Antigua and scored a century.

Chanderpaul missed the first game because of injury and a sore shoulder prevented him playing in Kingston.

Australia have to decide whether to keep both leg spinners, Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, after the way Brian Lara dominated them during his double century in Jamaica or call up Colin Miller, who can offer off-spin and seam.

West Indies Squad (for 3rd Test v Australia, Barbados, starting tomorrow): *B C Lara, C A Walsh, Dave Joseph, C E L Ambrose, -R D Jacobs, J C Adams, N O Perry, S Chanderpaul, P T Collins, C Collymore, S L Campbell, C L Hooper, A Griffith.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)