Cuffy injury setback to West Indies' hopes

The West Indies are anxiously awaiting a doctor's report this morning they fear could end Cameron Cuffy's tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya.

The tall, 31-year-old Vincentian fast bowler, who has made an emphatic return to international cricket after four years' absence, has been initially ruled out for the next two weeks by a painful left instep.

It means he will miss the two remaining matches in the triangular Coca-Cola Cup series, both against India here today and in the final on Saturday, and will not be available again until the three-day match against Zimbabwe A at Kwekwe immediately before the first of the two Tests.

Though it's a limited-overs international, we are going to take it very, very seriously and we will be going out there to play at our best and try to see if we can win the match, West Indies coach Roger Harper said yesterday.

If the results of yesterday's X-ray scan reveal a stress fracture, he will have to return home for the required rest.

Cuffy said he first noticed the pain during his seventh over of Sunday's last-over victory against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. He has not been able to practise or train since.

It is a setback to the team and to him personally.

Since being recalled for the Carlton Series in Australia last January for the first time since the fourth Test in Adelaide in 1997, he has become the West Indies best bowler in One-Day Internationals.

His 21 wickets in 18 matches have come at an economy rate of 3.6 runs an over. In his three matches here, his 30 overs have cost 70.

He is the second of the five fast bowlers for the triangular series to break down. Kerry Jeremy, the 21-year-old Antiguan, flew out of Harare last night on his way home to have treatment for a serious back strain.

Colin Stuart, Jeremy's original replacement for the second part of the tour, arrived in Harare yesterday along with Leon Garrick and Dinanath Ramnarine, the others chosen only for the longer matches.

Ramnarine takes over leg-spin duties from Mahendra Nagamootoo after Saturday's Coca-Cola Cup final. He, Stuart and Garrick should all play the opening first-class match against the President's XI at the Harare South ground starting Monday.

Today's match has no bearing on the qualification as India, with three wins from three matches, and the West Indies, two from three, have gone through over Zimbabwe who lost all four of theirs.

In the event, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Neil McGarrell, the only two yet to play in the tournament, are included. Sarwan replaces Marlon Samuels and McGarrell takes over from Nagamootoo.

The team: Carl Hooper (captain), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Merv Dillon, Corey Collymore and Reon King.