Pedro Collins comes in for injured Edwards

KINGSTON: The West Indies have added Pedro Collins to its 13-man squad, replacing fast bowler Fidel Edwards who has strained his back ahead of the second Cable and Wireless Test against England this week. The 22-year-old Edwards shook up England’s top order, taking three wickets and averaging a 90 mph (145 kph) pace in the series’ opening Test before injury forced him off the field on  the third day. On the fourth day, the West Indies crashed with a devastating second innings of 47 — their lowest Test score ever — and 10-wicket loss to England. Barbadian Edwards underwent an MRI scan on Saturday night.

The results were not made public, but the team has eliminated him for at least the second match starting on Friday in Trinidad.  Collins, 27, returns to the team for the first time since playing the last of his 19 Tests against Australia at Port-of-Spain last season. The left-arm player, half brother to Edwards, led the 2004 regional Carib Beer Series with 37 wickets at 18.45 in eight matches to help Barbados reclaim the series title. The rest of the West Indies squad is unchanged, with Dwayne Smith cleared to play after missing the First Test due to a dislocated ring finger on his right hand. Captain Brian Lara also has been given the go-ahead, despite dislocating the little finger on his right hand in dropping a catch during the First Test.

West Indies squad: Captain Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ryan Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Dwayne Smith, Tino Best, Corey Collymore, Pedro Collins, Adam Sanford, Ricardo Powell.