Dale Richards out for three weeks

Dale Richards, the Barbados opening batsman, has returned home from Jamaica - where he was with the West Indies squad for the first Test - after it was learnt that his foot injury could keep him out of action for three weeks.

Scans revealed the Richards, 32, had a "deep bone bruise" to the right big toe. The injury denied him the chance to make his international debut in the first Test between West Indies and England in Kingston. He could return for the third Test against England at Kensington Oval, which starts on February 26.

Richards sustained the blow while batting for Barbados against the Leeward Islands in a WICB regional match in St Maarten almost two weeks ago.

As Richards flew home, the two other non-playing members of the West Indies 14-member squad, Trinidad and Tobago offspinner Amit Jaggernauth and Leeward Islands fast bowler Lionel Baker, also left Jamaica to join their territorial teams in preparation for the next round of regional matches today. Jamaicans David Bernard and Gavin Wallace are performing duties as Windies emergency fieldsmen.