Leftarm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed was last night belatedly named as replacement for fast bowler Jerome Taylor in the West Indies team on their tour of South Africa.

Mohamed, who is yet to play in Test or oneday internationals, is the only leftarm wrist spinner in the Caribbean and appears to have been chosen on two counts. He is expected here on Monday.

South Africans have proved less certain against wrist spin than any other type of bowling and they have such a spinner as Mohammed in Paul Adams. It means that Mohammed's most relevant work will be in the nets, rather than the middle.

Dinanath Ramnarine, the Trinidad and Tobago legspinner, had 20 wickets against them on their 2002 West Indies tour and might well have been recalled prior to his retirement last week from all cricket, aged 28.

There were not many fast bowlers for the selectors to consider.

Of the three currently in South African state cricket, Nixon McLean, who is second in the first-class averages, and Reon King are ineligible as they have played no domestic cricket over the past year.

The Jamaican, Daren Powell, who was listed as one of the reserves, has struggled for wickets in his first season with Gauteng. On Saturday, he was hit for 16 from the final and decisive over.

Clearly, the selectors opted to add variety to the bowling. They should know by Sunday whether they have to find yet another new player.

According to manager Ricky Skerritt, Marlon Samuels's right knee has been "acting up again".

"As we've done with everyone who has reported any physical problem, we are being extremely cautious," he said. "Marlon has had daily treatment and we've made a doctor's appointment for when we arrive in Bloemfontein tomorrow [today]."

Skerritt said no decision would be taken as to whether Samuels would play in the fourday match against Free Tate starting today in Bloemfontein until the doctor's report is received.

"We're hopeful because there has been some improvement but we have to wait and see," he said.

The classy, 23-year-old Jamaican batsman and occasional offspinner, was kept out of the game after the injury flared up against Pakistan in Sharjah early in 2002.

He missed the subsequent home Tests against India and New Zealand but returned for the tour of India, where he scored his maiden Test and ODI hundreds, and Bangladesh last year.

Again in doubt for the 2003 World Cup because of the same knee complaint, he was passed fit at the last moment and joined the team in South Africa, playing only one of the six matches.

Like Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan, Samuels first came to South Africa for the second Youth World Cup in 1998.

It would be a setback for him to miss out on his first full tour here for he is a rich talent that simply needs to be properly guided.