Injury-hit WI call on Stuart

HARARE, CANA:

FAST BOWLER Colin Stuart arrived from the Caribbean yesterday to hear that he may be considered for West Indies' last preliminary match against India in the tri-nation limited-overs cricket series today.

The 27-year-old Guyanese flew into Harare to find spearhead Cameron Cuffy nursing a foot injury and Corey Collymore lamed by a thigh injury that may rule them out of the final dress rehearsal for the two sides, ahead of Saturday's championship match in which they are playing.

"Though it's a limited-overs international, we are going to take it very, very seriously and we will be going out there to play at our best and try to see if we can win the match," West Indies coach Roger Harper told the CANAsport radio programme on Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, we have some injury concerns, but we are going to believe that any 11 we put out in the field will be capable of giving a good account of itself, be very competitive, play as hard as it can, and try to win the match."

India beat West Indies by six wickets in an earlier preliminary match on Saturday. Sent in to bat, West Indies were restricted to 169 for seven off 50 overs to which the Indians replied with 170 for four off 43.5 overs.

Harper, the former West Indies off-spin bowler, believes the loss of four early wickets in that encounter in early morning conditions favourable for bowling was a bad setback.

"We have to try and put that right because it has helped set up India for all of the matches they have played when they have bowled first," he said.

"We have to try and see if we can blunt that new-ball. It has caused quite a few problems not only for us, but the other teams. We need to overcome the new-ball and take it from there."

Harper, a former Guyana captain, feels things might finally be coming together for the side in limited-overs matches as a number of goals that had been set are gradually being reached.

"If we can get better at implementing our game plan and get better at applying the basics of the game, then we will be ready for the World Cup in two years time," he remarked.

Squad:- Carl Hooper (captain), Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ridley Jacobs, Neil McGarrell, Mervyn Dillon, Reon King, Corey Collymore or Colin Stuart.

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