Question mark over opening bat Smith

BRIDGETOWN: West Indies opening batsman Devon Smith is doubtful for the remainder of the Cable and Wireless Test cricket series due to an injured finger. Smith seriously injured his left thumb when practising with former West Indies leg-spinner Rawl Lewis on his home ground in Hermitage, St Patrick, last Wednesday. The left-handed opener was visibly annoyed when he was initially told that he would be out of cricket for about three to four weeks.  Upon further examination of the injury by a local specialist, it was determined that Smith might need a week’s rest that virtually rules him out of  the Third Test match against England, starting in Barbados on Thursday.

On Saturday, the West Indies Cricket Board named Smith in a 14-member squad, but included Trinidad and Tobago captain Daren Ganga as cover. Smith is the leading West Indies batsman in the series with 172 runs from four innings, including his maiden Test century in the First Test match in Jamaica. West Indies squad: Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Smith, Ricardo Powell, Daren Ganga, Ryan Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Corey Collymore, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Pedro Collins. (CMC)