BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CANA:
FAST bowler Ricky Christopher is the only completely new face picked in the West Indies' 22-man squad for a pre-tour camp to be held in Trinidad from May 28 to June 8 ahead of the team's visits to Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Fast bowlers Reon King and Colin Stuart, along with wicketkeeper Courtney Browne and leg-spin all-rounder Mahendra Nagamootoo, all of whom were ignored by the West Indies selection panel for the recent home series against South Africa, have also been invited.
"On June 1, the selection committee will select a 16-man squad for the African tour," a news release from the WICB said. "All players chosen for the tour must pass medical and fitness tests which are scheduled for June 2."
All, but retired fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh, batsman Ricardo Powell and fast bowler Nixon McLean, of the participants from the series against Shaun Pollock's South Africans have been retained for the tour of the African continent that opens on June 17.
The selection panel has also chosen to overlook the experience of 51 Tests and 2,856 runs of Sherwin Campbell, vice-captain to Jimmy Adams on the ill-starred tour of Australia last winter.
King, who has not represented West Indies since last summer's visit to England, was part of a West Indies Cricket Board fast bowlers' clinic, conducted by Andy Roberts, the former West Indies speedster, in Antigua a few weeks ago.
Squad: Ricky Christopher, Courtney Browne, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Daren Ganga, Leon Garrick, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Carl Hooper, Ridley Jacobs, Kerry Jeremy, Reon King, Brian Lara, Neil McGarrell, Dave Mohammed, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Dinanath Ramnarine, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Colin Stuart.
