Samuels Returns to J'ca for MRI

Marlon Samuels' bothersome knee is acting up again and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) announced the hotshot right-hander would return to Jamaica for an MRI scan.

Samuels, who came of age on the recent tour of India after knee surgery threatened to curtail his international career, reported discomfort in his left knee (the same knee that required surgery in Sharjah last year).

"The decision to have Samuels undergo an MRI Scan is a precautionary measure and the scan will provide the best possible diagnostic examination. Dr Akshai Mansingh, a member of the West Indies Cricket Board Medical Panel, will conduct the examination," the WICB said in a statement.

If this injury is serious and rules Samuels out of next month's ICC World Cup tournament, it will be a big blow to the chances of the regional side. With Samuels backing up Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Shiv Chanderpaul and Ronnie Sarwan in the middle order, the West Indies batting looked to be among the strongest on paper.

If he misses the tournament, the Viv Richards-led selection panel will have to choose a replacement from the five stand-bys involved in the Antigua training camp.

The front-runner would have to be Trinidadian right-hander Daren Ganga, who filled in for Lara in India and for Hooper in Bangladesh but a strong case could be made for the in-form youngster Devon Smith. For now, West Indies fans are holding their collective breath that Samuels' knee discomfort is minor and he will take his place in South Africa.