Hinds may join team next week

Ricky Skerritt expects the injured Wavell Hinds will be passed fit to join the West Indies team in Sri Lanka next week.

Moments before departure for the subcontinent yesterday, the West Indies manager said his information from doctors suggested that the Jamaican left-hander's broken nose could be speedily rectified.

It's a broken bone in effect, but from what they tell me, it's a very repairable job in a quick time, Skerritt told reporters at the Club Caribbean Lounge at the Grantley Adams International Airport.

I am not at liberty to make any official announcement, but the impression I get at this point is that Wavell will be going on tour. I have not heard anything to suggest that wouldn't happen.

Some observers, however, were baffled to hear that Hinds could be in a position to travel next Monday after having an operation three days earlier.

It's not an operation in terms of a broken leg or anything like that, Skerritt said.

It's a question of mending whatever internal repairs to the area around the nose. From what the doctor I spoke to told me, it's a pretty routine thing which sportsmen can deal with.

Hinds, himself a replacement in the team for the injured Shivnarine Chanderpaul, suffered the blow when he top-edged a ball into his face from former West Indies fast bowler and current selector Joel Garner in Sunday's annual Melbourne Club Festival in Jamaica.

Skerritt pointed out that because of tremendous swelling, the operation could not be performed until Friday.

Hinds' injury comes at a time when there was lots of uncertainty surrounding the fitness of key players ahead of the tour.

Chanderpaul's aching back sidelined him, while champion left-hander Brian Lara and reliable wicket-keeper/batsman Ridley Jacobs were only passed fit after the squad had been selected.

Against the background that the West Indies had to send back home five casualties early on their tour of Zimbabwe a few months ago, team coach Roger Harper was asked if he felt comfortable that there would not be a repeat.

I have to trust the judgement of the medical personnel, he responded.

They examined the gentlemen thorough examinations during the camp in Jamaica. They were satisfied with what they saw.

Harper described Jacobs as the sort of character, who, once committed to going on tour, would give his all.

On Lara, the West Indies coach said: Brian has had an injury which has been plaguing him for a while.

The doctors feel that it is an injury that can be managed, providing he follows the proper management rehabilitation programmes.