West Indies opt for young blood

West Indies selectors have preferred the promise of the future rather than the experience of the past in the five players they named yesterday as back-ups for their already chosen World Cup squad of 15.

The five will participate in the two-week preparatory camp starting in Antigua January 12, prior to West Indies leaving for the tournament in South Africa and will be on call in case injury or illness eliminates any one of the original players before or during it, Michael Hall, West Indies Cricket Board chief cricket operations officer, explained.

Left-hand all-rounder Ryan Hinds, 21, right-hand utility batsman Daren Ganga, 23, and fast bowler Darren Powell, 24, were all on the recent tour of India and Bangladesh and have played both Tests and One-Day Internationals.

Left-hand opening batsman Devon Smith, 21, of Windward Islands, and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert, 22, of Jamaica, toured England and Canada with the "A" team last July and August but are yet to appear at senior international level.

All could realistically look forward to being involved in the next World Cup in 2007 in the West Indies. The older alternatives cannot.

Fast bowler Cameron Cuffy, opening batsman Sherwin Campbell and wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, all 32, left-hand middle-order batsman Floyd Reifer, 30, and leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, 27, were the more seasoned options.

All have played Tests and One-Day Internationals, Cuffy and Nagamootoo as recently as the series in Bangladesh last month. But the new selection panel under former captain Sir Viv Richards is clearly looking ahead.

Unless required further, the five back-up players will return to their regional teams for the start of the annual first-class tournament January 31.