Taylor's Back for Jamaica

Jerome Taylor, the 20-year-old fast bowler whose West Indies career was sidelined as a result of injury, has been included in Jamaica's 16-man squad to participate in the revamped 2005 Carib Beer series which starts on January 7.

Taylor, who offered much promise in the three tests and one ODI match he played for the West Indies in 2003, has been slowly re-introduced to competitive bowling after being given the all clear by his medical team.

Joining Taylor in the fast bowling department will be newcomer Dwight Stewart. Stewart impressed the selectors in the practice matches for the one day tournament, but could not get a place in the team then, what with all the West Indies players being available for selection. Now, the gangly 6 foot plus Stewart has an opportunity to wear Jamaica colours, ahead of Jowayne Robinson, who has been named as one of the four reserve players.

Gareth Breese who captained the four day team last season for the first time, is out for an indefinite period with a stress fracture of the right pelvic bone. Wavell Hinds has been named captain, and on the assumption that Hinds will be a part of the West Indies squad to Australia later this month, the Ruddy Williams-led selection panel has named Tamar Lambert as captain for the first three games.

Although he will only be in his second first class season, the stocky batsman will be one of few to have held the position of captain at all age levels. "My record has been good," said Lambert when asked about his previous successes. Under his captaincy, Jamaica won the inaugural U-15 tournament in 1996, the U-19 one day competition in 1999 and came second in the 3-day competition in the same year.

"People always say I have leadership abilities. I just have to go out there and do the job to the best of my ability," said the 23 year old Lambert, whose only worry now will be to recapture the form which made him Jamaica's highest run scorer in the 2004 tournament.

The naming of the team was delayed by the ensuing impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players Association, which has prevented the 14 man squad from being released.

Said Ruddy Williams: "We were very concerned about that and that is why we took this long to name our team, so we just had to take the bull by the horn, name our captain, and name the captain that will captain the team until Mr Hinds comes back."

Williams said that any players who were invited to the preparation camp but have not been selected to tour Australia, will join the squad. The five awaiting word are Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, Dwight Washington and Xavier Marshall. "All of those players we left out because we are expecting all five to go to Australia!" quipped Williams.

FULL SQUAD:

1. Tamar Lambert (c)
2. Shawn Findlay
3. Maurice Kepple
4. Donovan Pagon
5. Lorenzo Ingram
6. David Bernard Jnr
7. Carlton Baugh Jnr
8. Bevon Brown
9. Nikita Miller
10. Darren Powell
11. Jerome Taylor
12. Odean Brown
13. Danza Hyatt
14. Keith Hibbert
15. Dwight Stewart
16. Ryan Cunningham

Reserves:

1. Gavin Wallace
2. Brenton Parchment
3. Krishmar Santokie
4. Jowayne Robinson