LONDON, March 25 - West Indies, already without
captain Brian Lara and six other leading players, were further
depleted when Jerome Taylor was declared unfit for the first
test against South Africa in Guyana starting next Thursday.
Medium-pace bowler Taylor has a stiff back and has been
advised to rest for four to six weeks, the West Indies Cricket
Board (WICB) said in a statement.
Lara was left out of the squad by the board following a
contract dispute.
Skipper Lara, vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle,
Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul have
personal sponsorship deals with Cable and Wireless, meaning a
potential clash with West Indies' main sponsor Digicel.
Digicel's five-year agreement is worth about