Four-day trial for West Indies tour squad

The West Indies selectors are planning a four-day match in Trinidad and Tobago that would serve as both a trial and practice for the team prior to the rearranged series against Pakistan in Sharjah.

Chairman of the panel, Mike Findlay, said yesterday it was imperative preparation for the reduced itinerary that sends the West Indies directly into two Tests and three One-Day Internationals from January 31 to February 17.

We've had no major cricket since the tour of Sri Lanka ended on December 19, he noted.

This would give us a chance to assess the fitness of those individuals who were injured in Sri Lanka and allows everyone to fine-tune their game before going into such a tough series.

Findlay said the likelihood was that an overall 22 would be split into two teams for the Trinidad fixture that would be held during a six-day camp from January 17 to 22 prior to departure for Sharjah on January 27.

The final 16 would then be named with the six omitted retained as reserves.

Such an arrangement would guarantee a serious, competitive contest with players knowing that an outstanding performance could sway Findlay and his colleagues over the few marginal places.

It's been encouraging to see that some of those who came home during the Sri Lanka tour like [Wavell]] Hinds, [Leon] Garrick and [Dinanath] Ramnarine are playing in trial matches for their territories and that [Shivnarine] Chanderpaul has also been making runs in trials in Guyana, he said.

Left-handed batsman Hinds, who returned from Sri Lanka after the death of a close cousin in Jamaica, hit an unbeaten 167, and opener Garrick, who aborted the tour after developing a heart problem, made 94 in the Jamaica trial over the weekend.

Leg-spinner Ramnarine strained a side muscle during the third and final Test in Sri Lanka but was in action for South in their annual Gerry Gomez match in Trinidad, also over the weekend.

Chanderpaul pulled out three days before the Sri Lanka tour with a back injury and, as a left-handed batsman with an average of just under 40 from 48 Tests, his experience will be welcome cover for Brian Lara, absent with a fractured left elbow.

Lara was injured in a freak accident during a One-Day International near the end of his phenomenal tour and his arm will remain in plaster for another three weeks. But he is expected to be playing again before India visit in April.

Findlay bemoaned the increasing number of short tours, saying they offered no scope for development.

In the past, the up-and-coming players learned from going on tour and playing in the matches outside the Tests, he noted.

Now, with the exception of England, there are no more than a couple such matches on tour.

The slack has to be taken up by tours by the `A' team and it's good to see the board has retained that concept, he added.

West Indies `A' tour England this summer for five firstclass matches against the counties and five one-day matches, one each against Sri Lanka and India who are touring at the same time.