The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Senior players' absence opens door for young cricketers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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Sport - Cricket

Senior players' absence opens door for young cricketers

BRIDGETOWN, MARCH 29. The West Indies hopes newcomers Narsingh Deonarine, Donavan Pagon and Dwight Washington will emerge as valid internationals in the absence of banned tops stars including Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

The trio has yet to wear West Indies' colours, but at least one will make his debut from the 13-man squad to play South Africa in the first Test starting on Thursday at Georgetown, Guyana.

The players are "geared up and ready to face the challenge," said manager Tony Howard at the team's training camp.

"They are quite excited, actually. We have been training from early morning to late in the day so we have been putting in a lot of hard work," he added. "We are trying to build a unit of players who will work together.

"Some factors are missing, but we are looking at things in the long term."

Former captain Lara, Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith and the injured Ravi Rampaul were declared ineligible for selection by the West Indies Cricket Board because their contracts with Cable and Wireless conflicted with the board's main sponsor Digicel, a telecommunications rival.

After the board became aware of a legal oversight, Lara was invited back, but he wouldn't sign on unless the six others were also allowed to return.

The squad will also try to revive the careers of new 34-year-old vice captain Courtney Browne, who kept wicket in 14 Tests until 2001, medium pacer Reon King, who also played 14 Tests until 2001, and medium pacer Darren Powell, who took 12 wickets in four Tests in 2002.

The team, led by 80-Test batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, leaves Barbados today for Guyana.

South Africa arrived in the Caribbean last Thursday, reaffirming their wish to play the best West Indies players. — AP

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