WI going with four new caps

For a variety of reasons, only five of the 17 players involved in the recent unsatisfactory tour of England have been included in the West Indies 14, named yesterday for the ICC knockout tournament in Nairobi, Kenya, next month.

Brian Lara is among them, scotching speculation out of Trinidad that he sought to be excused to rest his weakened hamstring.

He brings welcome class and experience to a team short of both at present.

There are four newcomers: the left-handed Guyanese opener Azemul Haniff, 22; Jamaican all-rounder Marlon Samuels, 19; Leeward Islands fast bowler Kerry Jeremy, 20; and Guyanese fast bowler Colin Stuart, who turns 29 on September 28.

Sylvester Joseph, the 22-year-old Leeward Islands batsman from Antigua, has been chosen for his first senior tour. But he has already had a One-Day International, against Pakistan at Kensington Oval last April when he put together an impressive 28 off 32 balls.

Laurie Williams, the 31-year-old Jamaican all-rounder who played the last of his six One-Day Internationals in 1998, and Courtney Browne, the 29-year-old Barbados wicket-keeper whose last appearance for the West Indies was in 1997, have been resurrected to add some necessary maturity.

Haniff, Samuels, Jeremy and Stuart have all been chosen on recent performances for the 'A' team, last year against India 'A', last season against the touring Zimbabweans and Pakistanis and more recently against South Africa 'A'.

Samuels, brother of left-handed opener Robert, who played six Tests in 1996-97, is an attacking right-handed batsman and off-spinner, highly thought of by those who know.

Born February 5, 1981, he joins Ramnaresh Sarwan as the most recent 19-year-old to gain the attention of the senior selection.

Of those who toured England in the summer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore and Reon King returned with injuries, Curtly Ambrose has retired, and Courtney Walsh is still considering his position and Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan are in Adelaide for a six-week stint at the Australian academy.

Adrian Griffith, Franklyn Rose, Ridley Jacobs and Wayne Phillip are presumably being rested, as chairman of selectors Mike Findlay euphemistically put it yesterday.

The West Indies play Sri Lanka on October 4 in a sudden-death tournament involving all ten accredited One-Day International teams.

If they win, they advance to meet Pakistan in the quarter-final. If they lose, they come home.

Jimmy Adams (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Azeemul Haniff, Wavell Hinds, Brian Lara, Sylvester Joseph, Marlon Samuels, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Courtney Browne, Laurie Williams, Nixon McLean, Merv Dillon, Kerry Jeremy and Colin Stuart; manager: Ricky Skerrit; coach: Roger Harper; assistant coach: Jeffrey Dujon.