Lara’s back, Chanders remains WI skipper

ST JOHN’S: The West Indies Cricket Board has appointed Shivnarine Chanderpaul as captain of the West Indies team for the remainder of the Digicel 2005 Home Series, which sees the West Indies being host to South Africa and Pakistan. Chanderpaul leads the team for the Second Test match in the Digicel Home Series against South Africa, which begins on Friday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, despite the inclusion of Brian Lara and ex-vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan. Both Lara and Sarwan, along with Dwayne Bravo and Chris Gayle were among seven cricketers who caused a big impasse between rival telecommunications giants Digicel and Cable & Wireless and the WICB and the West Indies Players Association, which was only resolved only yesterday.

The players, the board, and Digicel and Cable & Wireless were locked in a battle regarding contracts and the wearing of logos. Many felt with Lara’s return he would have been re-appointed captain of the team. Convenor of selectors Michael “Joey” Carew said he and his panel were pleased with the team’s overall performance in the First Test match and he expected that the “team will go from strength to strength as the series progresses. “Coach Bennett King must be one of the happiest men in the Caribbean at present,” Carew said, “given the talent that has been on display. He must also be quite optimistic with the Cricket World Cup in mind and even beyond  that.”

Team: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Courtney Browne (vice capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Ryan Hinds, Dwayne Bravo, Daren Powell, Pedro Collins, Reon King, and Dwight Washington.