As the West Indies start their current tour of Sri Lanka,Tony Cozier, who will cover the Tests and One-DayInternationals for THE NATION newspapers, provides a playerby-player assessment of the team

Tony Cozier04-Nov-2001As the West Indies start their current tour of Sri Lanka,Tony Cozier, who will cover the Tests and One-DayInternationals for THE NATION newspapers, provides a playerby-player assessment of the team.Carl Hooper: As he has immediately shown, he, morethan anyone, is the key to success. Already a quality, butenigmatic, all-round cricketer, his promotion to thecaptaincy has revealed a changed character, a leader lookedup to by the young brigade. A master against spin, he cangive the lead in countering the menace of Muralitheran.Ridley Jacobs: A damaged finger might have kept someother keepers at home but Jacobs has repeatedly proved he’smade of much sterner stuff. There is no more valuable memberof the team, on the field or in the dressing room, and, ifhe’ll find Murali’s spin more of a puzzle than some of theothers, he won’t be intimidated by it.Chris Gayle: No recent young batsman has scored asheavily or consistently or punched the ball harder. Hisappetite for runs and will to improve were evidenced in asuccession of hundreds in Zimbabwe and Kenya and then on hisreturn home. Now comes a different challenge in newconditions against one of the finest off-spinners of alltime on his own patch.Daren Ganga: Yet another overseas assignment tofollow previous tours of South Africa, New Zealand,Australia, Zimbabwe and Kenya. On the latter trips, therewas a growing confidence, more purpose to his strokes and adeveloping opening partnership with Gayle.Leon Garrick: Small, right-handed and compact, he andGayle formed an effective, right-handed/left-handed, Muttand-Jeff opening combination for Jamaica last season. Adebut Test against South Africa (with a first-balldismissal) and limited opportunities in Zimbabwe and Kenyahave left him with still a lot to prove.Wavell Hinds: Once his broken nose is mended in timeand he manages to make it on to the field, there is plentyof lost ground to make up. A promising start that includedan innings of 165 against the powerful Pakistanis in hisfifth Test has been followed by inconsistent returns. InChanderpaul’s absence, the No.3 spot is vacant but the onlyway back is by regular scores.Brian Lara: As always, there are more questions thananswers to the game’s most mercurial personality. Is he fitenough? Is he eager enough? Does he still care? Is he pastit? Not all will be answered in the coming six weeks but, inthe mood, the incomparable left-hander remains a potentialmatch-winner.Ramnaresh Sarwan: Still only 21, he is at the startof what could be a long and prosperous career. In his shorttime, he’s had Tests against five opponents in fourdifferent countries and now comes another. His nimblefootwork, quick eye and flexible wrists are marks of aspecial batsman, yet not more so than runs. But is No.3 hisideal position?Marlon Samuels: It’s less than a year since, aged 19,he was pitchforked into the tough Test series in Australiaand handled it with the aplomb of a seasoned campaigner.Things come easily to an obviously talented cricketer but heshould appreciate by now that Test cricket is not an easygame, not least in Sri Lanka. The time is now for a maidenfirst-class hundred and a few more besides.Neil McGarrell: A captain’s pick during last season’sseries against South Africa, he has delivered his left-armspin capably in his three Tests, with four wickets in aninnings three times out of six. A streetwise cricketer, heis always competitive and his attitude is clearly valued byHooper.Dinanath Ramnarine: Just when he seemed to havesecured a settled place in the team, with 20 wickets in thehome series against South Africa, a back strain sent himhome from Zimbabwe. If pitches encourage turn, as they oncedid, his leg-breaks and googlies should be a significantpart of the West Indies’ strategy.Merv Dillon: Out of the Test XI for more than a yearand-ahalf, Dillon’s 39 wickets (at 27.72) in his last nineTests on return, against the might of Australia and SouthAfrica, seemed to mark him as the one to lead the attack onCourtney Walsh’s retirement. A knee injury sidelined him forthe Tests in Zimbabwe in July but he remains the frontrunner in the fast bowling stakes.Pedro Collins: Since first coming into the Test teamover three years ago against Australia as a sharp leftarmer, he’s had a patchy time of it. Mainly through a backproblem, there was a break of more than three years betweenTests before he played against Zimbabwe in July. Fit again,his form has been good, his enthusiasm obvious. He could bea surprise packet.Colin Stuart: Aged 28 and around for some time, hestepped in to fill the breach left by Walsh’s retirement andinjuries to Dillon and Cameron Cuffy in Zimbabwe. He bowledfast and straight and never stopped trying. They areattributes he will need against batsmen of higher qualitynow.Reon King: A couple of years back, he looked thegenuine article, distinctly quick with good control and theability to move the ball. He hasn’t been the same sincedamaging his foot on the tour of England last year but, onhis day, is the likeliest wicket-taker.Marlon Black: Fast with a nice outswinger, he hadfour good Australian wickets in his first bowl in Testcricket last season. By the fourth Test, he was out of theteam and later so badly mugged in a Melbourne street he wassidelined for over two months. His future in West Indiescricket probably depends on how he goes here.