West Indies captain Brian Lara plays with a football during a cricket training session in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, yesterday. - REUTERS
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP):
WEST INDIES cricket captain Brian Lara dispelled rumours yesterday of a strike by his team and said it was ready to improve in the third Test against India beginning today.
"I feel the guys are very buoyant and they are looking forward to the Test match," Lara said after the team's final training session at Warner Park. "I don't sense anybody being agitated by the situation."
West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) president Dinanath Ramnarine this week criticised the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for not yet providing the players with match or tour contracts for the ongoing series, which began in May.
LOOK AT OPTIONS
Ramnarine added that the players "would have to look at our options" if the board failed to move swiftly to sort out the problem.
"You can't continue to take the players for granted," Ramnarine added. "We have shown good faith and goodwill, but you cannot continue to do it forever."
Zorol Barthley, the WICB chief cricket operations officer, confirmed yesterday the board had moved to correct the situation. He revealed WICB representatives met with WIPA in Trinidad on Tuesday and discussions were continuing yesterday.
Lara said he was confident of a successful conclusion.
GREAT RESPECT FOR PLAYERS
"Where we've gotten to in the last couple of months, we don't want anything to erode that situation," he said. "I'm sure that the WICB has great respect for the players and will show that at some point in the near future."
Lara was equally diplomatic in discussing the squad for today's match. The selectors refused to bow to Lara's pleas to select a pace bowler capable of speeds of 90 mph (145 kph).
"I've been sort of censored, told to curb my comments," he said.
"I think it's a situation where they think that myself and the selectors are not singing from the same hymn sheet. That's unfortunate."
The home captain is also concerned about the fitness of Dwayne Bravo. The 22-year-old missed training with a flu virus and West Indies will be keen to see its key all-rounder recover in time for the crucial contest.
RELAXING PERIOD
The past few days have been more relaxing for India captain Rahul Dravid as his team enjoyed time away from the rigors of the first two drawn tests.
"(The) holiday has ensured that there is a fit squad to choose from. The break has been a help in that sense," he said.
"For me, personally, I could switch off from the game. I hope the benefits of the break would show in the performance of the boys."
The Indians will have one selection dilemma ahead of today's match. It surrounds ace offspinner Harbhajan Singh, who has missed the opening two matches of the four-test series.
Coach Greg Chappell refused to hint if the 227-wicket veteran of 55 Tests would boost the Indian bowling attack. But he did praise the job done by Virender Sehwag in filling Harbhajan's offspinning role in the first two matches.
"We thought Viru (Virender Sehwag) was a good bowler, that's five bowlers," Chappell said. "To fit an extra bowler in, you have to give up other things so that the right balance for the game is maintained. We could easily be 2-0 up, so I am certainly not complaining about the bowling and what we have had in the two Test matches. I don't think that is a problem, to be honest."
West Indies (from): Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Runako Morton, Denesh Ramdin, Jerome Taylor, Corey Collymore, Ian Bradshaw, Pedro Collins.
India (from): Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Munaf Patel, Dinesh Karthik, VRV Singh, Ramesh Powar.
