More Agony: Samuels, Campbell Out of Tour

Carl Hooper must be shaking his head in disbelief. Coming off another crushing defeat directly linked to the brittleness of the batting, things got worse Tuesday evening with the news that Sherwyn Campbell and Marlon Campbell would miss the remainder of the tour because of injuries.

Campbell, who was belatedly included in the touring squad after Ramnaresh Sarwan pulled out with a gimpy back, broke his finger while fielding on the fourth day of the first Test while Samuels requires immediate surgery in Sharjah on his left knee.

With the crucial second Test just two days away (Friday morning), the West Indies Cricket Board is considering flying out replacements for Campbell and Samuels.

Chief operations officer of the WICB Michael Hall said a decision had not been taken on replacements but, already short of in-form batsmen on the tour, it is highly likely that the successful batsmen from the opening two rounds of the Busta Cup tournament could be summoned to Sharjah immediately.

Already, there is speculation that Lincoln Roberts, the no-nonsense middle-order batsman from Trinidad and Tobago and Devon Smith, the 21-year-old who has been a bright spot in the Windward Islands dominance this year, would be asked to join Hooper's squad.

In two matches this year, Roberts has scored 267 runs with two centuries, for an average of 89.00 with a top-score of 146. Smith, a left-hander with an array of shots, is averaging 86.00 from three innings (258 runs).

Stuart Williams (289 runs/average 96.33), Runako Morton (294 runs/average 73.50), Leon Garrick (213 runs/average 71.00), Imran Jan (207 runs/average 69.00) and Courtney Browne (275 runs/average 68.75) would also be under consideration.

For Campbell, the Barbadian opener who averages 32.38 in 52 Tests, the injury is a serious blow to his career. Because of the broken little finger on his right hand, doctors have advised that he rest for at least ten days, by which time the Test series will be over. Never a specialist one-day player, the former West Indies vice captain could again find himself on the outside looking in.

Samuels, who averages 25.47 from 12 Tests, is a favourite with the selectors even though his record in regional cricket is, at best, sketchy. The 21-year-old right-hander, who made his debut on the 2000 Australian tour, is yet to score a century in international cricket and many believe he should have stayed in the Caribbean to play in the Busta Cup tournament.

Now, he is scheduled to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after an MRI revealed a problem with the inner part of the knee bone. It will be the second surgery on the same left knee for the Jamaican batsman.

The WICB said the surgery would be done in Dubai, Sharjah tomorrow (Wednesday) and Samuels is expected to be out of action for at least six weeks.