Hooper ST GEORGE'S, (Reuters):
WEST Indies captain Carl Hooper began to show the strain of his new job before yesterday's one-day international against South Africa, arriving late for the toss and failing to offer any explanation.
The beleaguered Hooper, controversially handed the captaincy two months ago, left South African counterpart Shaun Pollock to kick his heels in the company of television presenters Ian Bishop and Mike Procter, and match referee John Reid.
By the time Hooper arrived 17 minutes late, the match was just 13 minutes away from starting instead of the usual half an hour.
When Reid asked Hooper the reason for his delay, he received no more than a shrug of the shoulders in reply.
When Procter enquired, on camera, whether there were any changes to the West Indies team, Hooper replied in vague terms about replacing a batsman with a bowler but appeared uncertain of names.
Hooper has already raised eyebrows by stating after the Test series was lost in Antigua that "...you could put Steve Waugh in charge of this team and they still wouldn't win".
After Saturday's heavy defeat he described his team as "an embarrassment."
