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Ambrose dropped from Windies squad

While the ongoing dispute between the West Indies Board and the members of the selection committee as also coach of the national team continues, the selectors sprung a couple of surprises by omitting Curtley Ambrose from the squad to tour New Zealand for two Tests, and recalling paceman Franklyn Rose.

An official statement indicated that the Windies board and selectors were not satisfied that Ambrose, who had injured an elbow during the Sharjah tour earlier this year, was not back to full fitness.

Rose, who was under a bit of a cloud for not having settled a hotel bill outstanding from the team's traumatic tour of South Africa early this year (following which he failed to find a place in the one day squads to Singapore, Toronto, Bangladesh and Sharjah that followed) returns to the ranks in place of the veteran quick.

Other inclusions are Dinanath Ramnaraine, who toured with the South Africa party but had to return following a shoulder injury (which also forced him to miss the home series against Australia), and Jamaicans Wavell Hinds and Ricardo Powell. The latter, who has established himself as a destructive one day batsman, now gets a chance to do duty in the longer version of the game. Also recalled is Darren Ganga, another member of the South Africa tour party who has since been dropped from the side.

Nehemiah Perry will team up with Ramnaraine to provide the spin element. Ridley Jacobs retains his wicket-keeping berth, while Sherwin Campbell and Adrian Griffith will do duty at the top of the order, filling berths the West Indies have had problems with in the recent past.

Brian Lara, leading the West Indies against a Kiwi side that will be just back after a tough tour of India, badly needs a win. The last two away tours ended in disaster for the side when, under Courtney Walsh, the Windies lost 0-3 to Pakistan and then crashed 5-0, under Lara, to South Africa.

To pull off a win, Lara is relying on a five-member pace attack led by veteran Courtney Walsh, and comprising Rose, King, Dillon and Collins.

By way of footnote, the selectors indicated that Jimmy Adams would need to pass a fitness test before his place in the squad was confirmed.

The 16-member squad reads: Brian Lara (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jimmy Adams, Wavell Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Nehemiah Perry, Courtney Walsh, Pedro Collins, Mervyn Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, Reon King, Franklyn Rose, Darren Ganga.