Fidel Edwards out due to hamstring strain. - DELLMAR
ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC:
BARBADIAN PACE bowler Tino Best has been included in the 13-man West Indies squad for the second Test of the Digicel Series against Pakistan in Jamaica starting Friday.
The 23-year old will replace injured fellow countryman Fidel Edwards who has been ruled out with a strained hamstring, sustained in the first Test at Kensington Oval which ended on Sunday.
Best, who was on the injured list since last summer, recently returned to action in the final Test of the South Africa series at the Antigua Recreation Ground where he finished with the modest match returns of two for 147 in a high-scoring game.
He was, however, overlooked for the Kensington Test as the selectors opted to include left arm seamer Ian Bradshaw along with Corey Collymore, both of whom played in the preceding One Day International Series which the West Indies lost 3-0.
STRAIN
Edwards, whose five-wicket haul in Pakistan's first innings set up West Indies' 276-run win on Sunday, bowled just eight balls in the second innings on Saturday before straining his hamstring and leaving the field.
According to a West Indies Cricket Board release yesterday, he is expected to be out for the next 10 days.
Bradshaw has recovered from the viral infection that prevented him from being selected for the first Test while Dwayne Bravo, whose injured ankle also caused him to miss that Test, has continued to receive treatment for the injury.
Michael 'Joey' Carew, the Convenor of the West Indies selection panel, expressed delight with the first Test result but cautioned there was still lots of work to be done.
"The team played hard and got the rewards for their efforts. I agree with coach (Bennett King) that a lot of work still has to be done but there is a little light at the end of the tunnel," Carew noted.
West Indies will seek their first meaningful series win since beating Sri Lanka in 2003 when the second Test bowls off from June 3-7th at Sabina Park.
SQUAD:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Christopher Gayle, Devon Smith, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Courtney Browne, Corey Collymore, Daren Powell, Reon King, Ian Bradshaw, Tino Best.
