WICB Drops Sanford Bombshell

One day after usually reliable sources indicated Ryan Hinds was picked to replace the injured Omari Banks, the West Indies selectors dropped a bombshell, announcing Adam Sanford would instead make the trek to South Africa.

In a brief statement, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said the Dominica-born fast bowler was the choice to join Brian Lara's squad in South Africa. The selection of Sanford, who has played in seven Tests, comes as a major surprise since his name was not forwarded to the WICB as a standby.

Well-placed sources had earlier told CaribbeanCricket.com that the names of Ryan Hinds, Ryan Hurley and Gareth Breese were submitted to the WICB to arrange for visas with Hinds being the preferred pick to travel to South Africa for the Test series.

The Trinidad Guardian also reported separately in its Wednesday edition that Ryan Hinds would replace Banks.

The Sanford pick is even more surprising, coming on the heels of public statements by chief selector Viv Richards that Daren Powell -- who is already in South Africa -- was on the cusp of selection.

For Sanford, the first indigenous Carib to make the senior team, the selection is a sign he remains on the selectors' radar, even after he was strangely bypassed after two solid home series against India and New Zealand.

In the five-Test series against India, he took 15 wickets at 34.93 per and followed up afterwards with 5 scalps in two Tests against New Zealand.