30 invited for Aussie tour

The WICB announced yesterday that they have asked 30 players, including batting kingpin Brian Lara, former vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, and key opening batsman Chris Gayle, to make themselves available for the tour in which West Indies will contest three Tests at Brisbane (November 3-7), Hobart (November 17-21), and Adelaide (November 25-29).

"The letters of invitation were accompanied by the draft Match/Tour contract that the players would be required to sign, if selected," remarked Leonard Robertson, the WICB corporate communications manager, in a news release.

He added, "The players accepting the invitation are required to sign the letter and return it to the WICB by 5 pm on Tuesday, September 19."

Robertson however, did not give any indication about the state of negotiations between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

The two have been locked in a dispute over the terms and conditions of the Match/Tour contracts which WIPA described as "unacceptable," and forced the WICB to hastily assemble a motley collection of players that performed creditably, if not brilliantly, on the tour of Sri Lanka.

All members of that squad, except opening batsman Ryan Ramdass and medium-fast bowler Kerry Jeremy, have been retained in the training squad, along with the other seven players that chose not to tour Sri Lanka — namely Ian Bradshaw, Dwayne Bravo, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Wavell Hinds, and Devon Smith.

The rest of the squad comprises one complete newcomer, five players that were part of the simultaneous "A" Team tour of Sri Lanka, and two others that have been recalled following injury.

Utility player Lendl Simmons has earned recognition from the selection panel for the first time.

Daren Ganga, Carlton Baugh, Jr, Marlon Samuels, Dwight Washington, and Dave Mohammed have been put in frame following useful performances on the "A" Team tour. Left-handed all-rounder Ryan Hinds and fast bowler Jerome Taylor are the two players that have overcome their injury worries to have been recalled.

A camp has been organised to take place at the Three Ws Oval at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados.

The players will assemble from September 24, and the camp will consist of two days of physical training, followed by a four-day match from September 27 to 30.

"The players would have had no other cricket apart from the WICB President's Trophy limited-overs competition prior to their departure for the Test Series," team manager Tony Howard said.

"Therefore, this practice game is very necessary to get them in tune for what's ahead."

The 30 players invited are: Omari Banks, Carlton Baugh, Jr., Tino Best, Ian Bradshaw, Dwayne Bravo, Deighton Butler, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Sylvester Joseph, Brian Lara, Jermaine Lawson, Xavier Marshall, Dave Mohammed, Runako Morton, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Dwight Washington, Dwayne Smith, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.