West Indies: `It's a body-blow' says former selector Holford

Brian Lara's absence from the forthcoming series against Zimbabwe will leave a big hole in the West Indies' batting, a former chief selector and manager asserted yesterday.

'It is a serious blow given the fact that he is our one really world-class player,' David Holford said.

'Our batting has been letting us down. To be deprived of Lara's services now is going to make this series very competitive.'

Holford said it was important that someone come forward and establish himself as a Test batsman of genuine quality.

'I don't have any candidates in my mind, but whoever fills the void would have to start performing immediately if we are to make big totals in this series,' he said.

He admitted that Jimmy Adams and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, two players who once held high reputations at Test level, had 'fallen off the boil for some strange reason'.

'They don't look like the players they once were. That has been a very worrying development for the West Indies and it weakens the middle order.'