Bishop's welcome return
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Your support makes all the difference.The West Indies yesterday recalled Ian Bishop to boost the fast bowling support for Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh on their tour of England, starting on May 13. But the selectors found no need to reinstate Desmond Haynes, relying instead on two young, unproven, openers and the captain, Richie Richardson, to start the innings.
Bishop, one of six fast bowlers in the 17, resumes his career, twice interrupted by stress fractures of his vertebrae. Injuries have limited him to seven Tests in the past four and a half years, his last against Pakistan in 1993, and denied Derbyshire his services.
His record of 83 wickets in 18 Tests at an average of 20.45 accentuates his quality and, as he is still only 27, the selectors were encouraged enough by his form and his fitness in the domestic Red Stripe Cup season to include him.
"The return to full effectiveness of this proven and outstanding fast bowler is of great importance to the immediate and long-term future of our cricket," David Holford, the chief selector, said.
The omission of Haynes almost certainly signals the end of a long and illustrious career in which he played 116 Tests, scoring 7,487 runs with 18 centuries. If nothing else, it gives him time to attend to the legal action he has recently brought against the West Indies Board for the regulation that deemed him ineligible for the current home series against Australia, a court case expected to be heard during the England tour.
Stuart Williams, 25, is yet to score a half-century in nine Tests and Sherwin Campbell, 24, has played only three Tests. Yet they are the only specialist openers, Richardson having played the majority of his 79 Tests at No 3. He has looked out of place since promoting himself in last year's home series against England.
The only two players new to international cricket are Ottis Gibson, the 6ft 3in fast bowler who played for Glamorgan last season, and reserve wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, both of Barbados.
The West Indies play six Tests, three one-day internationals and 13 first- class matches on tour.
WEST INDIES SQUAD (to tour England this summer): R B Richardson (capt), C A Walsh (vice-capt), J C Adams, C E L Ambrose, K L T Arthurton, K C G Benjamin, W K M Benjamin, I R Bishop, C O Browne (reserve wkt), S L Campbell, S Chanderpaul, R Dhanraj, O D Gibson, C L Hooper, B C Lara, J R Murray (wkt), S C Williams.
Manager: W W Hall.
Coach: A M E Roberts.
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