West Indies First Test squad named (2 March 1999)

2 March 1999

West Indies First Test squad named

Rick Eyre for CricInfo

In a televised press conference at the Hilton Hotel, Port-of-Spain on Monday night, chairman of selectors Michael Findlay announced a squad of fifteen players for the First Test beginning at Queen's Park Oval on Friday.

The selected team was: Brian Lara (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Suruj Ragoonath, Dave Joseph, Jimmy Adams, Roland Holder, Phil Simmons, Lincoln Roberts, Ridley Jacobs, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Mervyn Dillon, Reon King, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore. Four players are to be omitted from the final eleven, and a vice captain will be chosen when the final team is known.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Franklyn Rose and Dinanath Ramnarine were unavailable as they are recovering from injury. Darren Ganga was overlooked as not fully fit who suffered from back trouble in the tour match against Australia which ended prematurely yesterday. Carl Hooper is unavailable due to the illness of his new-born son in Australia.

Courtney Walsh has assured the selectors of his fitness after returning from New York where he received some medical treatment. Brian Lara will have a scan on a chipped bone in his hand this week but is expected to play.

Stuart Williams, Nixon McLean, Junior Murray, Clayton Lambert, Philo Wallace, Rawl Lewis and Floyd Reifer, who all appeared in the five-nil drubbing in South Africa, have been overlooked.

Five players without any Test experience appear in the squad - Trinidad opener Suruj Ragoonath, Leeward Islands batsman Dave Joseph, Trinidad middle-order batsman Lincoln Roberts, and Barbados pace duo of Corey Colleymore and left-armer Pedro Collins.

In a move set to challenge Australian thinking about their First Test selection, not one spinner has been chosen. Michael Findlay said at the press conference that, contrary to popular belief, the Queens Park Oval pitch as Port-of-Spain was not a spinner's paradise and was expected to suit the quicks. Six fast bowlers have been chosen in the squad, four expected to take the field on Friday.

Sports psychologist Dr Rudi Webster will be working with the West Indian squad before the Test begins. The squad will be reduced to twelve, probably on Thursday morning.

At the commencement of the press conference, all those present were asked to stand for the playing of the new official West Indies cricket "anthem", a specially-commissioned version of David Michael Rudder's "Rally Round the West Indies". This is to be played at West Indies international matches around the world in lieu of a national anthem (which the WI, as a collection of nations, does not have).