Injury crisis for West Indies ahead of ODI series

LONDON: The West Indies have hit an injury crisis ahead of the one-day international series against England.   

The struggling tourists were able to field only five of their 14-strong one-day squad for the warm-up game with England Lions at New Road.   

They were forced to draft in five players who are playing either league cricket or at university in this country to enable them to take part in the game.   

Of the players set to play in the forthcoming Twenty-20 and limited overs internationals against England only captain Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton, Denesh Ramdin and Daren Powell were in action.   

Another six in Shivnarine Chanderpaul (arm), Dwayne Bravo (thumb), Fidel Edwards (ankle), Ravi Rampaul (groin), Devon Smith (thigh) and Darren Sammy (hamstring) were all ruled out through injury.   

And another three in Dwayne Smith, Austin Richards and Lendl Simmons were not scheduled to arrive in London until later Thursday before travelling straight to Derby to prepare for a Twenty-20 clash with Derbyshire on Sunday.   

The quintet drafted in are Kirk Edwards (Nottingham League), Mali Richards (Oxford UCCE), Esuan Crandon (Lancashire League), Andrew Richardson (Hertfordshire League) and Ruel Braithwaite (Loughborough University).