Opener Sherwin Campbell May Bowl More In Sharjah

Sherwin Campbell has been put on notice that he will be called on to bowl more for the West Indies in future.

I hope he is ready when there is stronger batting in Sharjah, captain Brian Lara said following Campbells accurate, if little used, slow-medium wobblers earned him his first four wickets for the West Indies in the second Biman Millenium Series match against Bangladesh here Saturday night.

Hes worked hard at his bowling in the nets and did well enough that I thought he could do a job in the conditions, Lara explained. He might look pretty easy but he kept a steady length and line on a pitch that wasnt coming on and got his reward.

Opening batsman Campbell had sent down only 11 balls, in the Toronto tournament last month, before the two matches in Bangladesh. He rarely bowls, even in club cricket in Barbados.

But Lara gave him two overs in the opening match then put him on second change Saturday night, bowling him through his allocated 10 overs in succession. He finished with four for 30.

Quick-step

Operating off a quick-step approach of 10 paces and delivering with a laboured action, about the only time he was off-line was when he worked in partnership with Ridley Jacobs for leg-side stumpings. Twice, the ploy paid off as the wicket-keeper converted wides into dismissals with slick glove work, the second a blink-of-the-eye effort off a knee-high full toss round Khaled Mashuds legs.

Campbell, and the West Indies, will find Pakistan and Sri Lanka altogether different opponents to the limited, outclassed Bangladeshis and Lara would be a brave man to hand a novice bowler the ball when the likes of Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda deSoliva, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq are going.

Sharair Hussain and Aminul Islam are fair players but not in the same league.

Yet Campbells success and the use of Ricardo Powell and Wavell Hinds as medium-pacers reflects the policy of encouraging everyone to practise their bowling in the nets so that they can be used in a pinch or when conditions dictate.

South Africas captain Hansie Cronje, Indias Saurav Ganguly and Australias Ricky Ponting are three examples of batsmen who have turned themselves into medium-pacers useful in a one-day situation and, occasionally, even in Tests.

After the dismal performances in Toronto, where series were lost 2-0 to India and 3-0 to Pakistan, Lara said the priority in Dhaka was to win.

We came here to win, to get back into the groove that we had in Singapore, he noted. We did that and did it well. Granted Bangladesh are new to this level of the game and that things will be different in Sharjah, but the guys are going there with confidence.

The negative, if unavoidable, consequence of the win-at-all-cost policy here was that the same 11 played both matches. That left Adrian Griffith, Chris Gayle, Reon King and Pedro Collins watching but bursting to get some cricket.

Laras 45-ball 100 on Saturday, the second fastest in any one-day internationals, on the way to an eventual 117 and Shivnarine Chanderpauls two unbeaten scores of 92 and 77 have returned the two best batsmen in the team to the form, and confidence, they lacked in Singapore and Toronto.

Manager Clive Lloyd was convinced the three months lay-off following the World Cup adversely affected both Lara and Chanderpaul on this comeback. He would be relieved that they are now getting back into the groove.

The West Indies took a 4 a.m. flight out of Dhaka for Sharjah yesterday, only six hours after completing their second victory under lights at the Bangabandhu Stadium.

Sharjah schedule:

October 13: West Indies v Sri Lanka

October 14: West Indies v Pakistan

October 15: Pakistan v Sri Lanka

October 17: West Indies v Sri Lanka

October 18: Pakistan v Sri Lanka

October 19: Pakistan v West Indies

October 22: Final.