West Indies to make final pick

The West Indies selectors will choose the squad of 16 for the forthcoming tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya next weekend during the special preparatory camp in Trinidad.

Chairman of the panel Mike Findlay said yesterday they would come from the 22 players who have already been picked for the 12-day camp.

Findlay confirmed that he had asked the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to make adjustments to the team to contest the three-way oneday series with India and Zimbabwe from June 23 to July 7 and that for the subsequent two Tests. That has been the pattern now that the Tests and the one-day internationals are separate and I don't think we'll be denied this time, he noted. We changed the team on the South African tour two years ago and did the same thing in England last summer and Australia earlier this year.

Findlay indicated that the use of as many as 17 players in the Cable & Wireless series of seven one-day internationals, won 5-2 by South Africa, was deliberate policy.

We're using the series between now and then to find the best combination for the World Cup in 2003, he said. We're hoping that the series in Zimbabwe is going to help us look at a more settled oneday team, especially so we can organise the opening position.

The West Indies used four different pairs of openers in the seven matches against South Africa: Chris Gayle and Leon Garrick in the first two, Gayle and Ricardo Powell in the third and fourth, Gayle and Daren Ganga in the fifth and seventh and Ganga and Shivnarine Chanderpaul in the sixth.We know we have a problem with our openers so we've been exposing those who we think are competent openers, Findlay said.

There is a trend of thought that we should use pinch-hitters, he added. I don't believe we have the type of pinch-hitters who would be successful but we gave it a try (with Powell) and went back to the traditional openers when it didn't come off.

Findlay pointed out that the West Indies was still a basically inexperienced team coming to grips with the demands of the game at the highest level.

While six South Africans had played over 100 one-day internationals and Jonty Rhodes played his 200th at Arnos Vale only captain Carl Hooper and Brian Lara had as many for the West Indies.

The tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya would provide a little reprieve from the high quality opposition we have faced in Australia and now against South Africa, the two strongest teams around in both forms of the game, Findlay said.