Lawson ready for Red Stripe

KINGSTON: West Indies fastbowler Jermaine Lawson said yesterday he was looking forward to representing Jamaica in the Red Stripe Bowl limited-overs tournament in October.

“Yes, I am looking forward to that,” Lawson told reporters following his bowling test at Sabina Park. “I just want to get in the Red Stripe Bowl and see what I can do and move on from there,” he added. And Dr Michael Seepersaud, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Chief Cricket Development Officer, suggested that once Lawson’s bowling action was cleared by the current review process and he remains free of injury he would be expected to play in the regional one-day tournament. This, in preparation for the West Indies tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa later this year. “If Jermaine’s back is okay  —  that’s the most important thing for us, the safety of Jermaine — the hyper-extension is removed we will recommend that he gets match-ready (before) the tour of Zimbabwe,” said Seepersaud. “If, however, there is still work to be done on his back, we would recommend that remedial work continues and that he keeps himself fit enough so that when he gets to Zimbabwe and South Africa he will be able to (perform),” he added. The comments by Lawson and Seepersaud followed recent media speculation that the pacer would be asked by the regional authorities to miss the Red Stripe Bowl. Lawson said yesterday that he was now free of pain and discomfort following back trouble that has delayed remedial work on his bowling action since he was reported by ICC match officials in May.

...Bowling action looks legitimate

KINGSTON: Officially, the results won’t be known until late next week but cricket sources said yesterday that video analysis of Jermaine Lawson’s bowling test on Thursday suggested there had been considerable improvement in the fastbowler’s delivery action.

“There definitely has been good progress,” the source said. “And one thing is sure. To the naked eye, his action looks legitimate but of course we are talking here about high speed cameras not the naked eye,” the source added. Lawson, whose bowling action was reported by International Cricket Council (ICC) match officials in May, has undergone remedial work on his technique in recent weeks. For close to two hours on Thursday, he took part in a bowling test conducted by British bio-mechanics expert, Dr Paul Hurrion, using high technology video and computer equipment. Hurrion’s report will be sent to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) later this week before being referred by August 19 to the ICC, the world’s governing body for cricket.