GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

Guyana's selectors have made a surprise move to recall the veteran leg-spinner, Mahendra Nagamootoo, to prepare for the 2009 West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) President's Cup limited overs tournament starting later this month.

Nagamootoo, 34, is in a training squad to prepare for the upcoming regional one-day tournament slated for October 28 to November 5.

The squad also includes West Indies batting stars Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the 2008 ICC World Cricketer of the Year.

Nagamootoo has not played four-day and one-day cricket for Guyana in recent seasons, although he did contest the Stanford Twenty20 tournament last year in Antigua.

The 24-man Guyana squad, being coached by Rabindranauth Seeram, will soon be reduced to 14.

Contractual dispute

The list also includes Travis Dowlin and Royston Crandon, who earned West Indies caps this year, while top-flight West Indies players made themselves unavailable because of a contractual dispute with the WICB.

Coming off a wretched first-class season early this year, Guyana are grouped with Barbados, the Leeward Islands and a West Indies Under-19s in the President's Cup and will be anxious to redeem themselves.

Traditionally, the Guyanese have been the most potent team in regional limited overs cricket, but they failed to reach the final at home last year and have not won the tournament since 2005.

The regional first-class season ended in April with winless Guyana bottom of the table on 33 points.

Worst first-class season

Enduring their worst ever first-class season, the Guyanese lost six matches and drew six in their 12 games.

Guyana will open their President's Cup campaign against the Leeward Islands on October 28.

GUYANA TRAINING SQUAD:

Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Travis Dowlin, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Christopher Barnwell, Narsingh Deonarine, Gajanand Singh, Assad Fudadin, Steven Jacobs, Richard Ramdeen, Royston Crandon, Shemroy Barrington, Delon Heyliger, Delbert Hicks, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Jonathan Foo, Derwin Christian, Esaun Crandon, Veerasammy Permaul, Davendra Bishoo, Brandon Bess, Trevon Garraway, Sauid Drepaul, Dion Ferrier.