"The selectors have made their decision but I can assure you Fidel won't play in all five [matches]," captain Brian Lara said when asked if was not more beneficial for Edwards to return to the Caribbean to prepare for the imminent home series against England. Lara said he hoped when Edwards got back home, the Barbados selectors would "see it fit" to include him in their team for some of the remaining Carib Beer Series matches in readiness for England.

The last two rounds of qualifying matches along with the semifinals and final remain after the West Indies get back February 10. "Fidel is still new to first class cricket, never mind Test matches, but he is a tremendous talent and I am sure that he is going to walk away from this a better player," was Lara's appraisal. "He has had to learn his trade against one of the toughest batting lineups in world cricket, and away from home as well." The 21-year-old Barbadian's first overseas tour has been long and tough. It has clearly taken its toll. He was the only bowler to play in all six Tests (two in Zimbabwe and four in South Africa), sending down 200.1 overs, more than anyone else, for an overall return of 16 wickets at an average of 55.06.

In spite of the figures, South African captain Graeme Smith described him as "a really big name in the making."

No one on either side bowled as consistently fast, occasionally as rapid at 95 miles an hour. Few deliveries were as lethal as the late, in-swinging yorkers with which he bowled Zimbabwean Barney Rogers with his first ball in an ODI, when he had figures of six for 22, and South Africa's Smith in the third Test and Jacques Rudolph in the fourth Test.

But Edwards' direction became wayward and his noballs and wides mounted up to 38 and 22.

When he took five wickets in his first innings, and six overall, on debut against Sri Lanka in Jamaica last June, the noball/wide count was one and two.

While Edwards takes a well deserved rest in the day-night match against a strong South Africa 'A' team, in nearby Paarl today that is a prelude to the first ODI at Newlands under lights here Sunday, the four new players are all expected to get their chance.

Ricardo Powell has had several of his ODIs under the lights, including in South Africa for last year's World Cup, it will be a new experience for the Barbadian trio of Ian Bradshaw, Ryan Hurley and Kurt Wilkinson.

Off-spinner Hurley's four ODIs were in the Caribbean last season, against Australia. Left hand all-rounder Ian Bradshaw and batsman Kurt Wilkinson are newcomers to the West Indies team.

The team practice in 35 degree heat at the Boland ground in Paarl yesterday morning and in the afternoon some, mostly those who are on their first trips of South Africa, visited Robben Island, the infamous prison of the apartheid era a couple of miles off coast.

South Africa 'A' include seven players with Test or ODI credentials and are bound to present a strong challenge.

Captain Neil McKenzie and Martin van Jaarsveld both played in the Test series but the most significant selections are Nicky Boje and Mfuneko Ngam, both returning from injury.

Left-hander Boje is South Africa's most capped contemporary spinner with 21 Tests while Ngam, who toured the West Indies in 2000 with their 'A' team, was rated their most promising fast bowling pros-pect but a series of leg problems kept him out of the game for the past two seasons.

Teams:

West Indies (from): Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Kurt Wilkinson, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chander-paul, Dwayne Smith, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Ryan Hurley, Ian Bradshaw, Ravi Rampaul, Corey Collymore, Vasbert Drakes.