Powell to replace Ryan Hinds

HARD-HITTING Jamaican allrounder Ricardo Powell is to join the West Indies team currently in Australia for the VB One-Day International triangular series. The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday made a request for the services of the player who now resides in and plays for Trinidad and Tobago. Powell was a member of the squad scheduled to start the Carib Beer Series regional tournament match against Guyana yesterday at the National Cricket Centre Ground in Balmain, Couva. However the first day’s play was washed out by rain. Chairman of the national selectors, Dudnath Ramkeesoon, yesterday confirmed that Powell will be heading Down Under to replace Barbadian allrounder Ryan Hinds.

It is understood that Hinds, a dashing right-handed batsman and useful off-spin bowler sustained a groin injury and would not take any further part in the one-day tournament. The West Indies team arrived in Australia on Tuesday and lost their opening encounter, a day-night fixture on Wednesday against a strong Victoria State side in Sydney by seven wickets. They are scheduled to play a two-day match against Australia “A” in Hobart, Tasmania starting today. The one-day series also involving Pakistan starts on January 14 when the Caribbean side tackles hosts Australia. Ramkessoon said yesterday that Powell, 26, will most likely leave for Australia tomorrow. His place in the Trinidad and Tobago team is not expected to pose any problems for the selectors.

‘We had named a 14-member team for the Carib Beer Series match against Guyana. So now we have 13 players to choose from,” said Ramkessoon. Yesterday Powell said he was anxiously looking forward to joining the West Indies team and doing his best Down Under. “It’s another opportunity for me and I intend to make full use of it,” Powell said. Married to a Trinidadian and living here for several years, Powell was given special permission by the West Indies cricket Board to play for his adopted homeland in regional and international matches. He said yesterday he was not unduly worried about his poor run of form since his match-winning innings against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament semi-final in England in September.

‘We have not had the best kind of preparation outdoors as the practice matches have been ruined by the rain,” Powell said. “But I am in a positive frame of mind and intend to try my best and get into the starting eleven of the West Indies team in the VB series,” he said. He said he did not especially relish the thought of leaving the Trinidad and Tobago team already without their top players Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo and experienced fast bowler Mervyn Dillon who are in Australia. “We play at the regional level to get selected for the West Indies team. That’s what it is all about,” said Powell. He has played 102 One-Day Internationals for the West Indies scoring 2,024 runs at an ordinary average of 26.29 with a highest of 124. He has also made eight half-centuries. Powell has also claimed ten wickets in the shortened version of the game for an average of 45.10 with a best of two wickets for five runs.