Team Leaves Without Lara, Guyanese

An air traffic controllers? strike in Guyana has delayed the departure of three members of the West Indies touring party for the VB one-day series in Australia.

The squad, minus the Guyanese and captain Brian Lara (who was delayed in Trinidad by unfinished personal business), assembled in Barbados on Wednesday and departed for Australia, via the U.K.

The first game for the West Indies will be against hosts Australia on January 14 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The squad is led by Brian Lara and includes: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice captain); Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Ryan Hinds, Courtney Browne, Ian Bradshaw, Xavier Marshall, Pedro Collins, Mervyn Dillon and Reon King.

The itinerary for the VB Series:

JANUARY
14th (day/night), Australia v West Indies, Melbourne
16th Australia v Pakistan, Hobart
19th Pakistan v West Indies, Brisbane
21st (day/night) Australia v West Indies, Brisbane
23rd (day/night), Australia v Pakistan, Sydney
26th (day/night), Australia v West Indies
28th Pakistan v West Indies, Adelaide
30th Australia v Pakistan, Perth

FEBRUARY
1st Pakistan v West Indies, Perth
4th (day/night) VB Series 1st Final, Melbourne
6th (day/night), VB Series 2nd Final, Sydney
8th (day/night), VB Series 3rd Final (if req), Adelaide