Knife Play Lands Garrick in Trouble

Jamaican opener Leon Garrick is walking a very fine line with cricket administrators on the island but despite violating a strict probation, the troubled batsman is expected back in the side for this weekend's third round game against Barbados.

Garrick, who was MIA for the early portions of Jamaica's training camp, was warned and placed on probation after he assaulted an unnamed teammate. Then, during the first round game against the Leewards, sources say Garrick threatened teammate Keith Hibbert with a knife, resulting in a one-game ban.

Inside sources say Garrick was a roommate of Hibbert during the Leewards game when an argument erupted over the fair and equitable distribution of a sports beverage in the hotel room. He returned with a knife and threatened the Jamaican wicket-keeper with physical harm.

At that stage, the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) decided he had crossed the line and slapped him with a one game ban and withheld his match fee as a fine.

There were rumblings that Jamaica would cut Garrick from its squad for the rest of the tournament but after a surprise loss to the Windwards landed them at the bottom of the table (among teams playing for the Carib Cup), sources say he will definitely play against Barbados in a crucial away game.

Garrick, who was injured in a car crash earlier this year, is no stranger to indiscipline. He has had run-ins with authorities in the past and sources say he has been read the riot about about his behaviour for the duration of the Carib Beer competition.

The 26-year-old right-hander played a solitary Test for the West Indies against South Africa in April 2001. In 50 first class matches, Garrick has scored 2,790 runs at an average of 32.44 with six centuries and 12 half-centuries.