Dujon: Pick Lawson now

KINGSTON: West Indies wicketkeeping great Jeffery Dujon, has reiterated calls for fastbowler Jermaine Lawson to be included in the West Indies line-up for their crucial World Cup clash against Sri Lanka today.

Dujon, who is of the belief that Lawson cannot do a worse job than the bowlers that have been used in the tournament so far, wants the young Jamaican pacer included in the starting XI, because of his sheer pace and ability to take wickets. “To me I don’t think our bowling is settling down and it is time for Lawson. The attack definitely doesn’t look stable and my question has always been, ‘why take someone like Lawson, who has delivered every time he touches the field, and do not play him?’ What is he going to come out of that with?” Dujon asked. The former Windies batting stylist thinks the West Indies batting is as good as any other team in the tournament. However, he maintains that it doesn’t matter whom the selectors rest, since Lawson deserved to play and could well turn out to be the “answer” to the team’s bowling problems.

“The batting is something that is open to questions as to whether changes should to be made. I think we need more solid starts ... and somehow need to get Marlon (Samuels) in.” “Jermaine’s extra pace, and the fact that he has a lot of desire to do well, should be reasons for his inclusion now, given the (bowling) disappointments so far,” he said. According to Dujon, who has played in the World Cup, despite the closeness of the teams in the group, he believes the West Indies will advance to the Super Sixes. He said all they have to do is bat the “shell-shocked” Sri Lankans out of the game, and bowl tidily. “I think we have played well enough in spurts to do it. If we can capitalise on the fact that obviously their confidence must be a bit shaken after the loss to Kenya, and get into them early, I think we can do it,” he said. “Our bowling is always going to be our weak link, but I think that we have a very good chance and we have everything to play for. Destiny is on our hands,” he said.