Hinds to miss rest of South Africa tour

BENONI: A groin injury has ruled opener Wavell Hinds out of the remainder of the West Indies tour of South Africa.

According to a senior WICB official, Hinds suffered a painful strain in the groin/pelvis area and will return to the Caribbean immediately. Hinds becomes the fourth player forced out of the tour after fast bowler Jerome Taylor (back), batsman Marlon Samuels (knee) and off-spinner Omari Banks (back). The left-handed opener, who has struggled mightily with the bat (averaging 9.83 from six innings) has also battled a shoulder ailment during the tour but the official reason for his departure is listed as a groin/pelvic strain.

Groin injuries are considered the most enduring for professional athletes and usually occurs during forced stretching or vigorous activity without adequate warm-up. The best treatment for groin injuries is complete rest and recovery time is estimated at three to four weeks.
An immediate replacement for Hinds will not arrive in time for the fourth and final Test which begins in Centurion on Friday. Instead, sources say the West Indies selectors will name a 15-man squad for the one-day international series which begins on January 25, at which time a replacement for Hinds will be identified.

Although the Jamaican batsman has failed miserably in the batting line-up, he offered Brian Lara a medium-pace option in the bowling attack and his all-round capabilities will be sorely missed in the ODIs. Hinds is yet another addition to the long list of injuries that have hit the touring side, which assembled in Antigua for a pre-tour camp and saw the majority of the players failing the minimum fitness requirements.

Ever since the tour started, the injured list reads — Taylor (back strain; out of tour), Banks (stress fracture in lower back; out of tour), Samuels (knee; out of tour), Hinds (groin/pelvic; out of tour), Vasbert Drakes (side strain), Corey Collymore (hamstring/glute), Chris Gayle (hamstring), Shiv Chanderpaul (finger/thigh), Carlton Baugh (knee), Fidel Edwards (ankle), Merv Dillon (shoulder/finger), Dwayne Smith (finger) and captain Brian Lara (forearm). Manager Ricky Skerritt has also dealt with a heart scare in Zimbabwe and it’s not a stretch to imagine that the poor bowling and fielding have given migraines and ulcers to coaches Gus Logie and Kenny Benjamin.