THE WEST INDIES have suffered a double setback in their preparation for the ICC World Cup, while two Barbadian cricketers Kirk Edwards and Ryan Austin have been fined for showing dissent in the ongoing WICB regional four-day tournament.
A West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) official yesterday confirmed that wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh and opening batsman Adrian Barath were nursing hamstring injuries, but said the regional body was awaiting the results of final tests on the duo before making a decision on replacements.
Baugh was forced to retire after making 29 in the team’s second warm-up match on Tuesday against Sri Lanka. As a result, batsman Darren Bravo, who kept wicket at the Under-13 level for Trinidad and Tobago, had to deputise as wicketkeeper.
The diminutive Barath, who scored a maiden One-Day International century in the preceding rescheduled three-match series against Sri Lanka, took no part in the last tune-up match with Devon Smith partnering Chris Gayle at the top of the order.
Antiguan Devon Thomas has been named as the reserve wicketkeeper for the World Cup but he lacks experience, and it will be interesting to see whether Denesh Ramdin, who made a half-century in the opening regional match against Barbados and claimed a record seven catches in one innings in the last round against the Combined Campuses and Colleges, (CCC) will be recalled.
Ironically, Edwards was the only batsman named among the three reserves. He has previously opened the batting for Barbados in regional One-Day cricket and following knocks of 93, 42 and 171 in his three innings in this year’s regional first-class championship, is almost certain to replace Barath.
With both Barath and Baugh likely to be ruled out, the WICB, on the recommendation of the selectors, will have to submit a request for a change of personnel to the tournament’s technical event committee for approval.
The tournament, co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, bowls off on Saturday but the Windies open their campaign against South Africa next Thursday at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi, India.
Meanwhile, Edwards and Austin were fined as a result of breaches in the first round of the ongoing regional first-class tournament.
Edwards had pleaded not guilty to the Level 2 charge of showing serious dissent at an umpire’s decision in the match versus Trinidad and Tobago at Guaracara Park by action or verbal abuse, but at the hearing he was found guilty and fined 75 per cent of his match fee. Â
Austin, who plays for the CCC, pleaded guilty to the Level 1 charge of showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during the match against the Windward Islands at the 3WS Oval and accepted match referee Carlyle Carter’s fine of 50 per cent of his match fee.
There was no need for a hearing since Austin pleaded guilty immediately.
Barbadian pacer Tino Best, the third player named as a World Cup reserve, was also summoned to a hearing but escaped unscathed when he was found not guilty of a Level 2 charge of engaging in inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with other players in the course of play.
 In the cases of Edwards and Best, the hearings were conducted by match referee Hayden Bruce with guidance by senior match referee Adrian Griffith.
The WICB said there were no charges following the second round of matches.
