PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad

(CMC):

Fast bowler Ravi Rampaul will miss Trinidad and Tobago's first four games, at least in the 2009 WICB four-day regional tour nament, because of a fractured finger.

Rampaul, expected to be out for six weeks, damaged his finger while playing on Sunday for the South team in the Pizza Hut/QPCC Gerry Gomez Memorial Cup Cricket Classic at the Queen's Park Oval. He was attempting to take a return catch off century-maker Darren Bravo.

Rampaul, 24, is expected to miss at least four matches in the regional first-class competition, which bowls off on January 9. T&T will travel to Barbados for their opening match.

According to South team manager/coach Baldath Bodoe, the West Indies pacer was sent to the St Clair Medical Centre yesterday and will visit Dr Terry Ali on Friday.

Bodoe, in his first stint as coach of the South team, said that Rampaul was disappointed about the injury.

"Ravi (Rampaul) is disappointed. He was looking forward to a good regional tournament to earn a place back on the West Indies team," Bodoe said.