Walsh likely to get nod ahead of Ambrose

The composition of the fast bowling attack, specifically the future status of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, would have been the central point of discussion as the West Indies selectors met here yesterday to pick their team for the imminent tour of New Zealand.

The A team for two four-day representative matches and three One-Dayers against the touring India A team in Trinidad and Guyana later this month and early next month was chosen at the same time.

Mike Findlay and his panel of Joey Carew, Joel Garner and captain Brian Lara (reappointed yesterday) instituted a policy of phasing out Ambrose and Walsh by alternating the two great, but aging, stalwarts in the recent round of One-Day Internationals.

The strategy will probably, and logically, be continued, at least for the series of two Tests and five One-Day Internationals in New Zealand and the home series next March against Zimbabwe, also of two Tests. It would then be reassessed for the subsequent tougher challenge of three home Tests against Pakistan.

For two valid reasons, Ambrose is likely to be the one omitted when the 15 for New Zealand are announced.

Walsh, with 423 Test wickets, is only 12 away from passing Indias Kapil Dev as the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history. He will justifiably be given every opportunity to achieve the goal before he takes his final bow after a celebrated career that started in 1984 and has already counted 110 Tests.

At 369 wickets, Ambrose is not far short of the 400 mark only previously achieved by Kapil, Walsh and the New Zealander, Sir Richard Hadlee. But he had to miss the recent Red Stripe Bowl with an arm injury sustained in the Champions Trophy in Sharjah last month that doctors advised would require six weeks rest.

At the age of 36, he would find it difficult to regain match fitness for the two Tests in New Zealand, December 16-20 and December 26-30.

Brian Lara (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Wavel Hinds, Dave Joseph or Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jimmy Adams, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Nehemiah Perry, Franklyn Rose, Reon King, Merv Dillon, Pedro Collins or Corey Collymore (if fit), Courtney Walsh.