West Indies pacer Jerome Taylor bowls during the first Digicel Test of the recent series against England at Sabina Park. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
The West Indies cricket team departed yesterday for England without fast bowler Jerome Taylor, owing to fitness concerns.
Taylor, who missed the last one-day international against England with injuries, was later involved in a car accident which also ruled him out of the Kings XI Punjab team for the Indian Premier League.
The regional cricketers, minus captain Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Fidel Edwards, met at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday, enroute to Britain.
However, questions were asked about the absence of the Jamaican players, including Taylor, and team manager Omar Khan replied by saying "he will be assessed before (his) departure".
Khan said Dr (Akshai) Mansingh will have a look at Taylor this week. Following that, he said "Paul Campbell, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) and David Cameron, vice-president of the WICB, will arrange a fitness test for him ... and once he is okay, he will be expected to join the team by April 27."
Vice-captain confident
West Indies vice-captain Denesh Ramdin (second left) appears pleased with what Paula Pinnock-McLeod, Digicel's sports sponsorship manager, had to say as members of the West Indies squad gathered at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday, ahead of their departure to England. Looking on are Paul Campbell (left), Jamaica Cricket Association president, and West Indies Cricket Board Vice-President, David Cameron. - Contributed
Khan also said he had got a commitment from Gayle and Edwards that they would join the team in time for the start of the Test series.
Dave Richards, Narsingh Deonarine, Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Lionel Baker, Devon Smith, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin and Nelon Pascal are the players who arrived in the island.
They are to be joined by Jamaicans Andrew Richards, Brendan Nash and David Bernard Jr.
Meanwhile, Ramdin, the team's vice-captain, expressed confidence ahead of the tour.
"We did well against them here and it's the same guys, so we just need to go out there and put everything together," said Ramdin.
"So far, the guys have done the job for us, so I don't see why we should not go out there and do it again," he continued, noting that he expects a tougher contest from England, who will be playing at home.
"They are playing at home and they are going to come at us ... they are used to their condition, as well as we will try and not let that play on our minds. We are going out there to play our game," he added.
Asked about their readiness for English conditions, Ramdin replied: "A lot of the younger players played a lot of league cricket in England, so it's not an unusual experience; they just have to go out there and execute."