Windies pacer Lawson plays on

KANDY, Sri Lanka: West Indies fast bowler Jermaine Lawson, who has been reported to the International Cricket Council for suspect action, will play in the second Test against Sri Lanka beginning today, a team official said yesterday. Lawson, 23, was reported by on-field umpires Simon Taufel and Nadeem Ghauri, TV umpire Peter Manuel and fourth official Ranmore Martinez at the end of the first Test won by Sri Lanka last week at Colombo. “The match officials had concerns with potential elbow flexation when viewing the bowler’s action with the naked eye,” ICC match referee Mike Procter said in a statement.

Lawson will undergo independent analysis of his action by a member of the ICC’s panel of human movement specialists as soon as possible. Until the assessment is received by the ICC, Lawson will be allowed to play international cricket. The second and final Test begins today at Asgiriya Stadium in the temple town of Kandy with Sri Lanka holding on to a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. West Indies team spokesman, Imran Khan, who is not related to the former Pakistan captain of the same name, said the XI that played in the first Test has been retained for Kandy. Lawson was also reported in 2003, and went to Australia to remodel his technique. The remedial work and a back injury sidelined him from the West Indies team for a year until May 2004.

Lalith Kaluperuma, Sri Lanka chief selector said his team is capable of performing better than it did in the first Test victory over the West Indies last week. “I think our boys are competent enough to perform better than what they displayed in the first test,” Kaluperuma was quoted as saying yesterday by the state-run Daily News. “We did a lot of mistakes in batting and bowling, and played very loose cricket throughout the whole match,” he said. “We need to improve in those areas and start playing to our true potential.” Sri Lanka’s batsmen faltered and conceded a 58-run, first innings lead in the first Test to a young West Indies side handicapped by a player boycott.

However, Sri Lankan bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan rattled the tourists in the second innings to help their side to a six-wicket victory with a day to spare. Several senior players from the West Indies, including world No 1 batsman Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle are not touring Sri Lanka because of a contract dispute. Sri Lanka has emerged as a strong cricketing nation since their surprise World Cup win in 1996, beating Australia. Kaluperuma, a former Sri Lanka off-spinner who played in the country’s inaugural Test match in 1982, said the Sri Lanka squad for the one-day tri-series against India and the West Indies at Dambulla starting July 30 will be named during the Kandy Test. (AP)