Adams Hopeful Of Playing In South Africa (22 November 1998)

22 November 1998

Adams Hopeful Of Playing In South Africa

by Tony Cozier in Bloemfontein

Jimmy Adams is aiming to be fit and ready to play again for the West Indies in the four-day match against the South African "A" team, starting December 19 in Pietermaritzburg.

"That's what the physiotherapist reports and she seems pretty confident," Adams said yesterday.

"It would mean I could be available for the last three Tests and that's my aim."

Adams severed tendons on his right little finger slicing a bread roll on the flight from London on November 10.

He had a corrective operation the day after arrival and has since undergone daily physiotherapy treatment in Johannesburg.

It was first reported that the Jamaican left-hander would be out for six weeks and would return home. Floyd Reifer, the Barbados left-hand batsman, was sent as a replacement from the "A" team in Bangladesh and India before it was decided to keep Adams on tour.

Adams, whose right hand has been placed in a splint, said the stitches from the operation would be removed on Tuesday. The splint is expected to come off in a week-and-a-half.

"I've been given certain exercises to do every hour to keep the other tendons in the hand active to ensure that they don't stiffen up with the splint on," Adams said.

"They've got to be in good working order as well when the damaged tendons heal."

Adams, who had a successful tour of South Africa last season as captain of the West Indies "A" team, has remained at the Sandton Sun Hotel in Johannesburg and has followed the progress of the team by daily telephone calls.

He said he is keeping physically fit - and overcoming boredom - by training with the Gauteng province team at their home ground, the New Wanderers Stadium, venue for the first Test starting on Thursday.

He reported heavy rainfall in Johannesburg over the past four days and said the ground was "completely under water" when he was there on Thursday.

"I don't know what effect that will have on preparations for the Test but it would be surprising if it was not a factor," he said.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)