JAMAICA and West Indies fast bowler Jermaine Lawson is expected to miss the forthcoming Test and One-Day Series against England and Bangladesh because of a back injury.
This was revealed by Dr Michael Seepersaud at the launch of the Trinidad-leg of the Scotiabank-sponsored Kiddy Cricket programme at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, on Wednesday.
International Cricket Council (ICC) match officials had reported the 22-year-old Lawson for a suspect bowling action during the fourth and final Cable & Wireless Test last year between West Indies and Australia at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Lawson’s remedial work on his bowling action was supervised by Dr Seepersaud, the West Indies Cricket Board’s Chief Cricket Development Officer for the regional cricket body.
Dr Seepersaud said a lot of work has been done with Lawson’s bowling action but unfortunately he is now plagued by an injury to his back.
“It is the back, because sometimes the MRI does not show anything. We know that is the problem and that is keeping him back. Unfortunately, is not very encouraging at this point in time,” Dr Seepersaud said.
He stated that Lawson has not played in any matches in the 2004 Carib Beer Regional Cricket Series and as such one cannot make a complete assessment of his readiness.
“The action is okay. But unless he gets clearance on the back he will not be ready to play. At the moment it does not look too good for the upcoming tours by England and Bangladesh,” Dr Seepersaud said.
Meanwhile, Richard Young, managing director of Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago Limited, said that his organisation’s sponsorship and commitment to West Indies cricket goes much beyond the distribution of cricket equipment, as it has to do with education and positively shaping young minds.
He said that Scotiabank’s involvement with West Indies cricket first began in 1998, as the official bank of West Indies cricket, and in 2000, exclusive sponsor of Kiddy Cricket.
“And as exclusive sponsor of Kiddy Cricket, we have distributed regionally more than 1 000 Scotiabank kiddy cricket kits to some 1 500 schools, reaching in excess of 7 000 children,” Young said. (Trinidad Guardian)