By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
West Indies captain Brian Lara (centre) poses with fast bowlers from left, Corey Collymore, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Vasbert Drakes after their 1-0 series win at Sabina Park on Sunday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
WHEN THE Vivian Richards-led West Indies selection panel assembles to select the region's 16-man squad for its African tour later this year, four fast bowlers have already been assured of a place.
This was disclosed by captain Brian Lara following his team series win against Sri Lanka on Sunday at Sabina Park.
The West Indies captain said that Jamaica's pacer Jerome Taylor and Barbadians Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore and Vasbert Drakes would be given tickets come November to Zimbabwe.
"I think I can safely say that Taylor, Collymore and Edwards - guys like these, we are going to see on the next tour," Lara said. However, he noted, "I want to see them stronger, fitter and hopefully they can last longer periods".
He also hinted that Mervyn Dillon and Jermaine Lawson (if fit) would complete the fast bowling unit. "We need to have them in a big group, with guys like Lawson, Dillon and Drakes".
"I heard a lot of comments about Vasbert, but I think we have to understand that this man has given a lot to West Indies cricket. He came back at age 33 to play for us and his experience and commitment to West Indies cricket is unbelievable.
"This is someone I will definitely push for," Lara said. "I spoke to him (Drakes) about it and with his experience in South Africa, I think we are going to need it".
Meanwhile, Lara's assessment of young Taylor was easy, "special", and likened him to former West Indies fast bowler Winston Benjamin.
"I saw Benjamin, but a lot of people haven't seen the best of him. Taylor's action is similar to Benjamin, at 19-years-old, this guy has so much room for improvement it is unbelievable", Lara said of the Aberdeen (north east St. Elizabeth) resident.
Lara commended selectors Joey Carew, Richards and Gordon Greenidge who saw Taylor's talent during the four-day regional tournament.
UNFORTUNATE FOR TAYLOR
However, Lara said it was unfortunate Taylor was left out of Jamaica's XI for a couple games, but "for someone to be that age and not lose concentration, was able to stay with it, he is special," the double world record holder described the St. Elizabeth Technical student.
The veteran of 96 Tests and 219 international matches went on to say, "he has got to understand that he has to take it from there. He needs to work very hard and make sure he becomes somebody special, but I can only say, he's got what it takes".
After Collymore's man-of-the-series performance against Sri Lanka, taking 14 wickets, the West Indies captain said, "I think it was a little bit of mishap why Corey (Collymore) was not playing a lot of Test cricket because he is a Test bowler".
The captain went on to say as long as Collymore stays away from injury he will be around for Zimbabwe, South Africa and next year against England.
SITUATION WITH FIDEL
The man, who is rated as the world's best batsman at present, Lara said the media misunderstood the situation with Edwards not been selected for Barbados, after his lone first class game against Windward Islands in 2002.
"My knowledge of Fidel was that he was in line for Barbados especially when we were at the World Cup with Corey, Vasbert Drakes and Pedro Collins missing from the Barbados line-up, but we understood he got an injury", Lara said.
However, he said when he asked Courtney Browne about the youngster, Browne said, 'if Best (Tino) got 30-plus wickets, he think the youngster (Fidel) would have done as well and he would have played (if not injured)'.
Unfortunately for Fidel, Lara said, he got fit when the top players returned.
"I saw him (Fidel) in the nets, and I thought he had Jeff Thomson's (former Australia pacer) action, he swung the ball around on very flat wickets, wickets that weren't seaming.
"I mentioned it to the selectors for the last couple months and they were interested. Viv did say he saw him in Grenada and he thought he had something special, but we needed to see him play first-class cricket."
"Playing against Sri Lanka is a safer bet than against Australia, and he did a tremendous job," said Lara.
