SAMUEL

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

JAMAICA BATSMAN Marlon Samuels is expected to leave the island today to replace injured captain Ramnareash Sarwan in the Test squad in England.

While no official announcement had been released by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) up until early yesterday evening, it is believed Samuels has been contacted and will join the party which suffered its worst ever Test defeat at the hands of England at Headingley on Monday.

It is also believed vice-captain Daren Ganga will assume the captaincy of the side but, again, that could not be confirmed at press time last night.

Meanwhile, Sarwan returned to the Caribbean yesterday to pursue rehabilitation on his injured shoulder.

Last December, injury-prone Sarwan had his in-step crushed by a delivery from the Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul which put him out of action for six weeks, then had a finger broken by a short, lifting delivery from Barbados fast bowler Fidel Edwards when playing for Guyana in the Carib Beer Cricket Series.

Very disappointed

"I'm very disappointed, but this means I have six to eight weeks to recuperate and to get back to full fitness," Sarwan said at the Grantley Adams International Airport yesterday, when he was intransit to his native Guyana.

"This injury seemed to be a freak accident. Maybe, I need to come and bathe in some Barbadian blue water in the sea. Seriously though, I am looking forward to recuperating and getting back to full fitness, and hopefully, I will be ready for our next major assignment - the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa."

Sarwan did not bat in either of the West Indies' innings in the second Test because of the damaged shoulder he sustained on the opening day of the match when he fell awkwardly trying to stop a drive from Paul Collingwood from reaching the boundary.

The West Indies sunk to their heaviest defeat in Tests when England won the match by an innings and 237 runs.

"It was very sad sitting and watching what happened in the second Test against England," Sarwan said.

"We made history for the wrong reason. It was very difficult knowing that I could not go out there and bat, and help the guys.

"Having said that, I still think they have a lot of fight in them, and they will give a better account of themselves in the third Test in Manchester."

Boost confidence

Sarwan hopes his teammates use the three-day tour match against the MCC XI, starting tomorrow at Chester-le-Street, to gain a boost of confidence ahead of the Test at Old Trafford.

"When I left everyone was still upbeat and looking forward to the rest of the tour," he said.

"They were obviously very disappointed that we lost the second Test and the manner in which we lost, but they had a hard training session the following day, and they were in the indoor nets working very hard."

Sarwan said team physio Stephen Partridge would email him a rehab programme overnight and he would work with a Guyana-based sports injury consultant towards getting better.