Garrick knocking at door

The West Indies have delayed naming their squad for the fifth and final Test against South Africa, starting at Sabina Park, Kingston, on Thursday, hinting that they are considering a late change.

According to chairman of selectors Michael Findlay, the same 13 as for the fourth Test were chosen since last Wednesday. But the squad was still to be released to the media up to late yesterday.

Findlay was in Montego Bay over the weekend for the South Africans' two-day match against Jamaica and would have watched opener Leon Garrick's century.

It was only the second against the tourists, following Ridley Jacobs' unbeaten 113 in the third Test, and was further advertisement for the little 24-year-old right-hander on the back of his strong Busta Series in which he scored 801 runs at an average of 50.

It would be unusual for the selectors to make such a late change by bringing in Garrick for his fellow Jamaican, the left-hander Wavell Hinds, who has had a disappointing series. But Garrick has at least booked his place for the tour of Zimbabwe in June and July.

Whether they alter the bowling in the 11 that will seek a consolation victory now that the series has been settled depends on the likely state of the pitch.

For the first time since the 1978 series against Australia, when their team was stripped of its formidable fast bowlers in a row over Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, the West Indies carried two specialist spinners and only two fast bowlers into the fourth Test in Antigua.

Neil McGarrell, the 28-year-old orthodox left-arm spinner from Guyana, was given his debut to partner leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine with only Courtney Walsh and Merv Dillon to shoulder the fast bowling tasks.

That selection was based mainly on two factors.

The third fast bowlers Nixon McLean in the first two Tests, Cameron Cuffy in the third were ineffective. And the curator at the Antigua Recreation Ground, proclaiming himself a proud West Indian, let it be known he had prepared a pitch to suit spinners as it was one area in which the West Indies were stronger.

The policy worked to the extent only that McGarrell had four wickets on the opening day and South Africa were limited to modest totals of 247 and 215 for seven declared.

On the debit side, Wavell Hinds had to share the new ball in the second innings after Dillon sprained his thumb, obliging the 38-yearold Walsh to send down 38 overs, and Ramnarine was reduced to bowling a purely negative, into-the-rough line.

Charlie Joseph, the perennial head groundsman at Sabina, is unlikely to make such a brazen prognosis as his counterpart in Antigua. But reports on all three Busta Series matches in Kingston this season have been of a slow pitch.

Spinners took 53 wickets in them, fast bowlers 39 and, pertinently, Guyana under Carl Hooper went into the final against Jamaica with three spinners (himself, McGarrell and Mahendra Nagamootoo) and only two fast bowlers (Reon King and Colin Stuart).

These are statistics that are bound to interest Findlay and company. They may also note that McGarrell went without a wicket in 48 overs.