da betcris： Following a decision by tour selectors in Sri Lanka to have fastbowler Reon King return to the Caribbean for required surgery, theWICB yesterday named his replacement for the remainder of the tour
Derrick Nicholas21-Nov-2001Following a decision by tour selectors in Sri Lanka to have fastbowler Reon King return to the Caribbean for required surgery, theWICB yesterday named his replacement for the remainder of the tour.The 19-year Jamaican fast bowler, Jermaine Lawson, will today travelto Sri Lanka and should arrive on friday.King, who was recently diagnosed with a hernia, will travel from SriLanka today. He is expected in the Caribbean on Friday and isexpected to undergo the required surgery and will be out of cricketfor approximately 4 weeks while he recuperates.Lawson, who burst onto the regional scene during the 1999 under-19tournament in Barbados, where he consistently bowled batsmen for sheerpace, has also represented the West Indies “B” in the regional firstclass tournament – Busta Cup. The youthful speedster has alsorepresented the West Indies under-19 during the under-19 World Cup inSri Lanka in 2000 and again during the West Indies under-19 tour toEngland this summer.Lawson, who made his first class debut for the West Indies “B” in the2000 Busta cricket series, has also spent six weeks at theCommonwealth Bank Cricket Academy in Western Australia. Lawson,however has not yet represented Jamaica in a regional first classmatch although he has played for his country in recently concluded RedStripe bowl competition.Speaking on Lawson’s selection, chairman of the West Indies selectors,Mike Findlay said: “We have opted for Lawson because of the tremendouspotential he has displayed over the years and in the 2001 Red Stripebowl.” The selectors were left with very little option since CameronCuffy, who himself had to return from the tour of Zimbabwe earlierthis year is still recovering from injury, and Nixon Mclean isunavailable in South Africa.Earlier in the week when it was first announced that King wassuffering from hernia and could miss the second test in Galle, thediagnosis was that King could play on, but King indicated to teammanagement that he was feeling some discomfort following the team’snet session. A final decision to replace was made yesterday, afterthe bowler was omitted from the line-up for the second test because of”form and not fitness.”King subsequently saw two doctors in Sri Lanka, both of whom diagnosedthe onset of a pelvic hernia, but advised that he could continue totake full part in the tour and have surgery on his return to theCaribbean.The West Indies selectors have taken the view that King would beunable to withstand the rigours of a five-day test match whilecarrying a hernia and that it would be in King’s best interest to havethe surgery as quickly as possible, enabling a full recovery,(estimated at four weeks) prior to the start of the 2002 Busta cricketseries.Following discussions among the team’s management, captain Carl Hooperand King himself, the player is returning to the Caribbean to undergothe required surgery.