Selectors call up three

In a move not totally unexpected, the West Indies selectors yesterday drafted in Ricardo Powell, Sylvester Joseph and Laurie Williams into a 15-man squad for next month's World Series Cup limited-overs tournament in Australia.

The selectors also announced that four players touring with the West Indies Test squad-Ramnaresh Sarwan, Courtney Browne, Kerry Jeremy and Courtney Walsh-would return to the Caribbean at the end of the current five-match series.

The selections of Powell, Joseph and Williams were predictable.

Both Powell, who has played in 34-One-Day Internationals, and Joseph, the 22- year-old Antiguan who has scored heavily in the regional Red Stripe Bowl for the last few seasons, have enhanced reputations in the abbreviated version of the game.

Powell, who turned 22 last Saturday is best known for his explosive hundred in the final of a limited-overs tournament against India last year.

Williams, the 31-year-old Jamaican all-rounder, is another player with strong credentials in limited-overs cricket in spite of his limited appearances at international level.

An experienced cricketer with three first-class centuries, Williams had a fine all-round season for Jamaica in the 2000 Busta Cup, capturing 20 wickets at 15.75 runs apiece with his seam bowling and scoring 378 runs at an average of 34.36.

While the selections of Powell, Joseph and Williams were on the cards, it was also expected that Sarwan, Browne, Jeremy and Walsh would have been omitted.

It might have been felt in some quarters that opener Daren Ganga, who is not known to be a brisk scorer, would also have been left out.

Fast bowler Colin Stuart, who only made his regional One-Day debut for Guyana, has also been retained.

The World Series Cup, sponsored by Carlton and United, also involves hosts Australia and Zimbabwe.

It starts on January 11 with a day-night match between West Indies and Australia and Melbourne.

Each team plays the other four times in the preliminaries leading up to the best-of-three finals starting on February 7.

It was also announced yesterday that batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who suffered a stress fracture of the foot just before the second Test, would return to the Caribbean this week to recuperate.

Sarwan, Browne, Jeremy and Walsh should be back home in time for the third round of Busta Cup matches.

The West Indies' 15 for the World Series Cup: Jimmy Adams (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Daren Ganga, Wavell Hinds, Brian Lara, Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels, Sylvester Joseph, Ridley Jacobs, Laurie Williams, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Nixon McLean, Mervyn Dillon, Marlon Black, Colin Stuart.