Knee Surgery KOs Collymore from NZ Tour

West Indies fast bowler Corey Collymore is scheduled to undergo surgery in Melbourne, Australia to remove a bone spur in his right patellar (knee) tendon, an injury that will rule him out of next year's tour of New Zealand.

The injury to Collymore is a devastating blow to a team that has struggled to take 20 wickets in a Test match. Collymore finished with 8 wickets (avg. 36.50) in the three Tests against Australia but the stats do not do justice to his value as the team's leading pacer.

Collymore will require approximately four months for recovery, which means he will miss the remainder of this year's first class season and the West Indies tour to New Zealand which starts next February.

At best, he is expected back in time for the home Test series against India in 2006.

Team spokesman Imran Khan said the Barbadian right-hand pacer "bravely played" during the recent three Test series "with a significant amount of pain in his right knee."

He was rested from the training sessions between Tests.

The injury to Collymore has reduced the touring side to 12 players for the final tour match, a one-day game against the Aussie Prime Minister's XI in Canberra on December 2nd.

Chris Gayle ( heart surgery) and Marlon Samuels ( knee) were also forced to abort the tour early. Jermaine Lawson, who remains with the side, is also recovering from ankle surgery.