Hooper Wants to Score 'Really, Really Heavily'

West Indies cricket captain Carl Hooper feels the upcoming series against Pakistan in Sharjah will be very important for himself and the team and expects to lead from the front.

According to Reuters news agency, Hooper said the loss of key batsmen Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan will require him to be at his very best.

"The tour is going to be an important one not only for the team but for myself,'' he said. "I want to score really, really heavily. I think it's very important that I do well and more or less lead from the front,'' he said before the team left for Sharjah where they will oppose Pakistan in two Test matches and three One-day Internationals.

Lara fractured his left elbow on recent tour of Sri Lanka, while Sarwan was ruled out abruptly last Tuesday with a strained back muscle.

In the circumstances Hooper believes the West Indies have the strongest squad available for the series which was moved to Sharjahdue to security worries over tensions on the Pakistan-India border.

"It's close to the best 15 you can get in the Caribbean right now,'' he said.

Sarwan will be replaced by the experienced batsman Sherwin Campbell who played his last Test in 2000, has an overall Test average of 32.82 against Pakistan and averaged 41.33 against them on the 1997 tour.

"The last time we played against Pakistan in Pakistan, Sherwin was one of the better players on that tour,'' said Hooper.

"With the loss of somebody like Brian and Sarwan, I think we needed a little bit more experience and Sherwin was invited to the trials and batted well and totally deserved his pick.''

Campbell, 31, is looking forward to his return to international cricket. "I feel it's another good opportunity for me to re-establish myself and regain that old form that I had when I first got into the team,'' the Barbadian said. The first Test starts on January 31.

* SOURCE: Stabroek News.