West Indies leave out star cricketers
West Indies leave out star cricketers
Published: 04:49 am Aug 19, 2009
BRIDGETOWN:West Indies will be without their leading players for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa next month. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) on Monday again left out the players who chose to strike during the Test, one-day and Twenty20 series against Bangladesh in July in the Caribbean. Former skipper Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo and Jerome Taylor are the main stars absent. The side will again be led by 37-year-old Floyd Reifer and includes two uncapped players in all-rounder Royston Crandon and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton. Walton appeared in both Tests against Bangladesh but did not appear in the limited overs matches. Crandon, 26, is a hard-hitting right-hander and off-spinner from Guyana. West Indies have also recalled fast bowlers Tino Best and Daren Powell. Best also played in the Tests against Bangladesh but has not appeared in one-dayers since May 2006. Powell, who declared his unavailability for the Bangladesh series, returns for the first time since last March against England in the Caribbean. Fellow fast bowler Fidel Edwards, the most experienced bowler in the previously chosen 30-man provisional squad, missed out with a persistent back injury. David Williams, the assistant coach, will be at the helm following last week firing of head coach John Dyson.