Srinath is out of the reckoning for the Windies series

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in New Delhi

Javagal Srinath is on his way to Johannesburg to consult Dr Mark Ferguson, an orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in shoulder injuries.

The fast bowler, who left Jamaica on Monday en route to New York and Johannesburg, had consulted Dr Ferguson during the Indian tour of South Africa last month.

Dr Ferguson will examine Srinath's shoulder and decide whether he should return home or join his team mates in the Caribbean. However, there is little chance of the Karnataka cricketer playing the series against the West Indies which lasts six weeks.

The national selectors are taking no chances. They will convene in Delhi on Tuesday to select a replacement for Srinath.

In contention are Salil Ankola, the Bombay paceman who turned 29 on Saturday, and David Johnson, the Karnataka medium-pacer. Ankola replaced Johnson for the one-day series in South Africa.

"If the South African doctor's report is favourable, Srinath will rejoin the Indian team in the West Indies. Otherwise, he may return to India," says Indian cricket board secretary Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Before the selection committee met to pick the team for the West Indies, Dalmiya said Srinath had furnished a medical report stating that he could continue to bowl but would refrain from throwing overarm during fielding.

The report, Dalmiya revealed, also suggested traditional treatment and reiterated that no immediate surgery was necessary. However, the medical opinion warned that if the injury did not heal, it would necessitate surgery.

Before the Indian team flew to the West Indies last Monday, a magnetic resonance imaging test was performed on Srinath's right shoulder as a precautionary measure.

All expenses towards Srinath's visit to South Africa as well as his treatment will be borne by the board, Dalmiya added.

The Srinath episode, warn some former Indian Test stars, is just the beginning of a crisis. Excess cricket will lead to a burn-out, they caution.

Former opener K.rishnamachari Srikkanth, in a telephone conversation from his home in Madras, told Rediff On The NeT "In our days we were rarely stressed compared to today's players. And if this trend continues, our players, particularly the bowlers, will be exhausted long before the age when they should retire."

The Indian team has been playing virtually without a break since the Wills World Cup in February 1996.

Says B S Chandrashekhar, the former Test-winner for India, " After the South Africans came to India, there was no need for the Indian team to go and play in South Africa. This is not the case of Indian cricketers alone. Other countries too play excessive cricket."

Atul Wasan, the Delhi and former India fast bowler, points out the case of Pakistan's Waqar Younis and South Africa's Allan Donald who only play important matches, thus conserving their physical resources.

Says Wasan, "We must apply the same guidelines for our players. The human body needs rest. Good players must only play important matches and not all matches. If they do this, then other players too will get a chance."

Sanjay Manjrekar, who did not find a place in the Indian side, feels "cricket board officials must realise that every player needs rest. If they go on playing non-stop players will end their career soon."

No other country played as many international matches as India did last year.

"Excessive touring is not good for the team as well as individual players. Every player needs rest, be it a batsmen or bowler," says Srikkanth.

"Genetically, we are not strong compared to the whites and Africans. There are certain players who play for money and that leads to deterioration of their health," claims Wasan.