Injury-hit West Indies ask Ambrose to stay

As the West Indies make final preparations for tomorrow's Fifth Test Match at The Oval the President of the West Indies' Cricket Board will make one last attempt to persuade Curtly Ambrose to postpone his retirement.

Pat Rousseau believes that if he can persuade Ambrose to extend his international career, it may be that Courtney Walsh would decide to postpone his departure as well.

"I hope to have a talk with Courtney today," confirmed Rousseau. "I think a lot of it depends on what Ambrose is going to do.

"A lot of great bowlers bowl in tandem and do very well for each other - when one goes, the other is not always as effective.

"I might try to talk Courtney into trying to talk Curtly out of it, but it won't be easy."

Although the tourists have held the Wisden Trophy for the last 13 series, only a win at The Oval can prevent them from surrendering it to England.

Injuries will affect the West Indies' team selection for the Test; Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been flown home with tendinitis in his right elbow after missing the last two Tests as well as the one-day triangular tournament.

Chanderpaul suffered a reaction after playing against Somerset at Taunton last week. West Indies manager Ricky Skerritt said: "He's had the best possible care, quality specialists have looked at it and we were given the OK for him to test it out in the game at Somerset.

"He had a little discomfort and some pain, but the specialist said if he could handle it then it would not do the muscle any damage and he would be able to play in the last Test.

"He just wasn't happy and he chose to give it some more rest and that meant he was no longer available to participate on this tour."

Fast bowler Reon King will also miss the Test with a stress injury of the instep, but Franklyn Rose, who missed the Headingley Test because of an ankle problem, should be fit.

Also available are Nixon McLean and the leg spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, who scored a century against Somerset, to join Ambrose and Walsh.

England have to decide whether to play the left-arm spinner Ashley Giles instead of either Dominic Cork or Graeme Hick.

"We're just trying to treat it as a normal game, pitching up here and doing the same practice and drills that we always do," said coach Duncan Fletcher.

"The idea is to make them relaxed, but not too relaxed because they realise there is still a very hard game ahead of them over the next five days at the Oval."

Seats at The Oval are sold out for the first four days of the match.