Axe hanging over Hooper

The Gleaner

February 23, 1998


CRICKET: West Indies middle order batsman Carl Hooper could be dropped for the fourth Test between the West Indies and England starting at Bourda on Friday.

News coming out of the Guyana Cricket Board of Control (GCBC) is that the West Indies selectors are mad with Hooper for not playing in the Guyana/England tour match which ends at the Everest Cricket Club today.

After the disappointing West Indies batting in the second and third Test matches, the selectors, on the advice of coach Malcolm Marshall, instructed all the batsmen to make themselves available for the President's Cup matches which were scheduled and for the Guyana/England match. While all the batsmen were in action however, Hooper was not.

According to information coming out the GCBC, Hooper called to say that he was not available for the Guyana/England match and gave no reason.

Efforts to contact Wes Hall, chairman of the West Indies selection committee who is in Guyana, were unsuccessful, but the word is out that the selectors are unhappy with Hooper's behaviour and are prepared not to select him for the Test match.

Guyanese were unhappy when Hooper did not make himself available for the match and criticised his action strongly.

Hooper, who scored one and 94 not out in the second Test and averaged 34.86 from 69 matches going into the third Test, scored one and five in the third Test.

At Everest the scores at the end of yesterday's second day were Guyana 184; England 200 for six. Guyana's left-arm orthodox spinner Neil McGarrell has so far taken four for 62 off 33 overs.


Source: The Jamaica Gleaner

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Date-stamped : 23 Feb1998 - 22:27