Taylor Cleared for 'Full Activity'

There is good news on the Jerome Taylor injury front, according to West Indies team manager Ricky Skerritt.

The teenage fast bowler, who was suffered a strained lower back after bowling just 9.4 overs on the first day, has been cleared to return to "full activity" as early as Saturday.

However, to play it safe, Taylor will not bowl in the Zimbabwe second innings and will return to a normal training routine by Monday next week.

Skerritt told CaribbeanCricket.com Taylor was examined by Dr Austin Jeans, the only top quality sports medicine specialist in Harare and the earlier diagnosis of a 'lumbar facet joint sprain' was reconfirmed.

Facet joint strain, or sprain, is typically treated by stabilizing the lumbar (small of the back) or using anti-inflammatory medication.

"As usual, we will put Jerome through a series of physicals before our coaching staff and physio are confident that his actual physical condition matches the clinical and radiological findings," Skerritt said.

Skerritt said Taylor will not bowl for the remainder of the first Test and, depending on the results of physicals, will return to the team's normal training routine by Monday.

The sudden back injury, which came just days after the 19-year-old bowled was asked to toil for 35 overs in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe 'A', has raised concerns in the Caribbean about the team's injury management and prevention systems.

Chief cricket development officer of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Dr Michael Seepersaud said biomechanical analysis of Taylor's delivery detected a 'mixed' action and some lateral flexion (bending over the left at the point of delivery) long before he was selected for the tour of Zimbabwe.

"The combination of a 'mixed' action and lateral flexion will lead to lower back problems. We are aware of this with Jerome," Seepersaud said in an interview with CaribbeanCricket.com. He said Taylor's delivery stride closely resembled that of former pacer Ian Bishop, who had a superb career interrupted by a debilitating back injury.

"We have seen side-by-side video clips of Taylor and Bishop and the similarities are striking. And that was just before Bishop's injury," Seepersaud explained.