RAVI RAMPAUL, the talented 19-year-old whose bowling on tour has so far been as inconsistent as England's weather, has been eliminated from the West Indies NatWest Series match against New Zealand here by injury.
"Ravi has reported severe pain in his shins in both legs and the team physio (Andrew Simpson) has recommended that he should not be considered for this match," Imran Khan, the team's media liaison officer, said last night.
Khan said the injury would be evaluated on a day- by-day basis.
Rampaul's place goes to Tino Best, the fastest but least experienced of the woefully inexperienced West Indies' attack with only three one-day internationals against Bangladesh to his record.
Bowling was always the team's main concern, especially after Sir Viv Richards and his selection panel decided to omit Corey Collymore and Merv Dillon, fast bowlers with 89 matches and 179 wickets in such matches between them.
It left Rampaul as the leader of the attack, with a sum total of 14 ODIs, more than any of the other bowlers except Chris Gayle.
Chosen to support him were Jermaine Lawson, the big 22-year-old Jamaican returning to international cricket after a year cleaning up his flawed action and overcoming a back injury; Ian Bradshaw, an international late-comer at the age of 29; Best, the unpredictable tearway who has never played a one-day match for Barbados; and Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith and Darren Sammy, three untested medium-pacers whose main strength happen to be batting.
The left-handed Bradshaw's dismissal of openers Marcus Trecthcoth-ick and Michael Vaughan instigated England's woes in the first match and, calm and intelligent, he has been the steadiest of the lot.The bustling Bravo has been the likeliest to take a wicket.
Rampaul has been so literally up and down that he claimed three for 25 against Ireland on the first day of the tour and was taken for 74 from seven overs the next.
He had two key wickets against England on Sunday and was lambasted for 28 from three overs on Thursday
Lawson followed his encouraging three for 36 from nine overs in the first match on Sunday with seven wicketless overs for 50 on Thursday when England rushed to their target of 160 off 22 overs with a total of a six and 24 fours.
The conditions that have existed so far have aided the swing and seam bowlers, especially those using the white ball first.
The teams that have lost the toss have all been sent in and, in the three full matches possible, scraped together 147 and 101 (England) and 159 (West Indies).
Scott Styris, New Zealand's all-rounder, made no effort yesterday to conceal his feelings about the standard of pitches so far in the tournament," he told the BBC. "They are rubbish really, the ones we've played on so far."
"Edgbaston (against the West Indies) wasn't even a club wicket," he charged. "And the day before the game they still had the covers on when it was sunny and warm. It's all a bit strange given that two of the Test wickets in our series were fantastic."
Whatever the conditions, the wide half-volleys and short balls offered by the West Indies bowlers at Headingley on Thursday will be ineffective, especially when aided by eight no-balls and four wides in 22 overs.
It is an inconsistency that has been the main reason for their prolonged trials and tribulations.
A hearteningly efficient performance that earned them their convincing victory, by seven wickets, over England at Nottingham was followed by their disappointingly contrasting display at Leeds when their loss to the same opponents was even more emphatic than the home team's four days earlier.
Captain Brian Lara also referred to the failure of the batting after their dismissal for 159 at Headingley.
"We've got to be a bit more mature, show a bit more fight and technique and get things going and get the runs on the board for our bowlers," he said.
It is easier said than done.
The weather has remained unsettled and a day of mixed sunshine, cloud and showers is forecast. Batting is again unlikely to be easy.
The West Indies had little time to gather their thoughts and none to practice, if they were so minded, as yesterday's coach ride from Leeds to Cardiff took almost five hours
Another loss would not be terminal ut it would further unsettle the fragile spirit of a team of unprecedented youth and inexperience with an unconvincing record.
Prior to Thursday's revival, England had already been beaten twice, by the West Indies and New Zealand, and had one abandonment while New Zealand only head the table at present through three unearned points each from their two abandoned opening matches.
Added to their rain-ruined abandoned opening match against New Zealand a week ago, the West Indies are now half-way through the qualifying round with nine points, three behind New Zealand who they face at Sophia Gardens here today.
Their remaining fixtures are against England at Lord's on Tuesday and New Zealand at England's newest first-class ground, the Rose Bowl in Southampton, on Thursday.
Teams:West Indies: Brian Lara (captain), Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Ricardo Powell, Dwayne Bravo, Ridley Jacobs, Ian Bradshaw, Tino Best, Jermaine Lawson.
New Zealand (probable): Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Hamish Marshall, Scott Styris, Craig McMillan, Chris Cairns, Gareth Hopkins, Jacob Oram, Daniel Vettori, Daryl Tuffey, James Franklin.