by PAUL MAYERSWEST INDIES fast bowler Fidel Edwards is frustrated by the slow pace of his rehabilitation from a back injury.The Barbadian is at present recovering from spinal surgery which was performed in Jamaica in January to remove a herniated disc.Edwards had a second scan two weeks ago and disclosed that he has been working hard with the physiotherapist.“The second scan on my back showed up pretty okay. The doctor told me it’s coming pretty good, but for me it’s kind of slow,” he said.“I started running again three weeks ago, started with three laps and have increased it to five, but there is still some pain there. “The doctors says it will be a while before the pain goes away seeing that the nerve is damaged a bit,” Edwards said.Edwards, who made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2003 says he’s looking at either September or October to start bowling again, but is still in the dark as to when he will be back playing competitive cricket.The problem which the 28-year-old revealed was plaguing him since 2004, flared up during the World Twenty20 Championships in England, in June last year. It forced him to withdraw from the starting 11 on the morning of the match against England and to also miss the tour of Australia.He was criticised by West Indies Cricket Board chief executive Ernest Hilaire and his one-year contract with the board withheld for abandoning his remedial programme to play in the Indian Premier League for Deccan Chargers.    Commenting on the just concluded World Twenty20 Championships, Edwards told WEEKEND SPORTS he watched just one game at Kensington Oval which was West Indies against Sri Lanka and described his experience as difficult.“It’s the second World Cup in the Caribbean that I missed out on. The first was probably due to the selectors saying that I wasn’t up to scratch, in terms of bowling form, the second is through injury but watching it has been pretty difficult for me,” he said.  He described the West Indies performance as moderate.
