Sarwan, Russell for World Cup

WI names 15-man squad; no place for Taylor

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Ramnaresh Sarwan has been recalled to the West Indies team for the 2011 World Cup, starting on February 19 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Sarwan had been dropped from the side for the rain-spoilt trip to Sri Lanka late last year, following concerns about his health and his fitness.

The 30-year-old batsman has, however, dispelled all questions about his health and his fitness in the last three months, following his injury-free participation in the regional one-day competition and ongoing Caribbean Twenty20 championship.

"We have had a good look at him since then and we think he looks fit," said chairman of the West Indies selection panel, Clyde Butts, at a news conference at Kensington Oval yesterday.

"I have also personally been to watch him train in Guyana - and there are official reports from the trainer and the territorial development officer about the training he has been doing."

Sarwan was sidelined last May when he pulled up with a hamstring injury during a one-day international against South Africa in Dominica.

This followed his recovery from a back injury he sustained on the tour of Australia late in 2009.

The 15-member squad, which will be led by Darren Sammy, also features fast-bowling all-rounder Andre Russell. He is yet to play a one-day international (ODI).

One notable absentee, however, is fast bowler Jerome Taylor.

He returned to competitive action for Jamaica during the ongoing CT20, following a lengthy injury layoff, but the selectors prefer to allow him to work his way back.

Rampaul questioned

Questions, however, were raised about the place of Ravi Rampaul ahead of bowlers like Tino Best and Lionel Baker.

Best and Baker were among the leading bowlers for last year's regional one-day competition, which was a qualifier for selection.

But Robert Haynes, a member of the selection panel, defended Rampaul and believes his experience will prove invaluable on the subcontinent.

"Apart from the home ODI series last year against South Africa, he has been our top ODI bowler in recent matches," said Haynes. "And we believe we have to give him a chance to prove himself at the World Cup. We all agreed that Best and Baker and others have improved tremendously and have been bowling really well and we have been saying, as selectors, we believe in giving players a run."

Haynes noted: "We are in a rebuilding process. It is not just about picking who we should play. We have to look to the future as well and it is very important for us as selectors to identify players."

The squad also features Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard. The three players all turned down central retainer contracts from the West Indies Cricket Board.

Though they are all missing from the ongoing CT20 to play in the T20 Big Bash in Australia, they all played in the regional one-day competition last year, which qualifies them for selection.

Squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh Jr, Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Christopher Gayle, Nikita Miller, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith.