Sport

Windies camp upbeat

Shivnarine Chanderpaul - File photos

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA, CMC

WITH CHRIS GAYLE and Ramnaresh Sarwan having delivered the latest twist to the sponsorship saga, there are greater expectations now from the West Indies when they take to the field for the opening cricket Test against South Africa, starting today.

Late yesterday, attorney-at-law Sanjeev Datadin delivered the staggering news that Sarwan and Gayle had chosen to pull out of their contracts with Cable & Wireless that the West Indies Cricket Board felt conflicted with its team sponsorship with rival telecommunications firm, Digicel, and deemed the two batsmen ineligible for selection.

This change of heart from Gayle and Sarwan has transformed the mood ahead of the opening Test, since it may spark similar actions from the other five players the WICB had similarly ruled ineligible, and means that they could all be considered for the second Test, starting in a week in Trinidad.

The threat of a players' strike and boycotts from fans throughout the Caribbean were circulating on the eve of the opening Test, even as some of the principal actors in the drama were busy fulfilling their obligations at the Series Launch at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel yesterday.

"We have a team here who is looking forward to the Test," new West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul told reporters.

"We had our camp in Barbados, and the guys seem well prepared for this match, so I think the prospects are exciting.

"I don't know how easy it will be for me to lead West Indies for the first time in front of my home crowd, but I hope it will be, and I will just wait and see how things will go."

Enormous task

At a time when there is such a paucity of riches in the West Indies' storehouses, the home team could ill afford not to have the likes of Sarwan, Gayle and the others not available for selection for too long against one of the world's best drilled outfits.

Sadly, the actions of Sarwan and Gayle have come a little too late for the opening Test, and when local hero Chanderpaul walks out on the ground that is very familiar to him, and on which he made his Test debut 11 years ago, none of them will be available.

For sure, the latest twist will ease the previously enormous task facing Chanderpaul of motivating the remainder of the players that the cause is worth it in the prevailing circumstances.

The Test will afford a few fringe players, a couple recalls, and a handful of newcomers the chance of giving West Indies a rousing start to the series, even if the so-called "best players" are filtered back into the line-up later on.

Devon Smith, who is likely to open the batting with Wavell Hinds, has a chance to cement his place as a long time partner for Gayle at the top of the order.

Daren Ganga and Ryan Hinds have again been given the opportunity to establish themselves in the middle order, along with newcomers Donovan Pagon and Narsingh Deonarine, who can both demonstrate the future is bright for West Indies in this area.

Others such as wicketkeeper/batsman Courtney Browne, as well as fast bowlers Daren Powell and Reon King have been brought back in from the wilderness and can also upstage the selectors.

It's a mouthwatering prospect, but West Indies must keep in mind that they face opponents that have beaten them in 10 of the 15 Tests they have contested since South Africa's re-admission to world cricket 13 years ago.

Lengthy batting

"This is an important series for us," South Africa captain Graeme Smith said. "We have come out of a tough home series against England, and got through Zimbabwe as well as we could, so we have come here with a lot of confidence and we are looking to good results in this series."

The South Africans are a well-oiled outfit with plenty of depth in every department of the game, but it's their lengthy batting that makes them so competitive, illustrated by the fact in recent matches Andrew Hall, a regular in the bottom half of the batting, moved up to open the batting with some distinction.

Smith acknowledged that the absence of veteran fast bowler Shaun Pollock for their 300th Test because of a left ankle injury leaves a big hole to fill in the attack, but he was confident that the players whom he had in reserve were more than capable of filling the breach.

The Bourda pitch looked typically flat, although there were a few blades of grass on the surface, and the weather that has been a bugbear over the years has been bright and sunny in the weeks leading up to the match.

Ticket sales for the match have been going steadily, and with the news of the imminent return of the Cable & Wireless seven, it's likely to pick up over the course of the match.

SQUADS:

WEST INDIES (from): Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Courtney Browne (vice captain), Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Narsingh Deonarine, Daren Ganga, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Reon King, Donovon Pagon, Daren Powell, Devon Smith, Dwight Washington.

SOUTH AFRICA (from): Graeme Smith (captain), Nicky Boje (vice captain), Mark Boucher, Abraham de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki.

UMPIRES: David Shepherd, Aleem Dar, TV Replays: Eddie Nicholls, Reserve: Clive Duncan. MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe.