PORT-OF-SPAIN, Jan 23: West Indies will travel to Sharjah to face Pakistan in the upcoming series without the two best players from their last tour, Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Lara fractured his left elbow on that tour to Sri Lanka, while Sarwan was ruled out of the squad, announced Tuesday, with a strained back muscle.

Despite the absentees, captain Carl Hooper believes the West Indies have the strongest squad available for the two Tests and three one-dayers, which were moved to the United Arab Emirates because of security worries over tensions on the Pakistan-India border.

“It’s close to the best 15 you can get in the Caribbean right now,” he said.

Sarwan will be replaced by the experienced batsman Sherwin Campbell, while young all-rounders Ryan Hinds and Darrell Brown are included after only two One-day Internationals each.

Opening batsman Campbell, who played his last Test in 2000, has an overall Test average of 32.82 against Pakistan and averaged 41.33 against them on the 1997 tour.

“The last time we played against Pakistan in Pakistan, Sherwin was one of the better players on that tour,” said Hooper.

“With the loss of somebody like Brian and Sarwan, I think we needed a little bit more experience and Sherwin was invited to the trials and batted well and totally deserved his pick.”

Campbell, 31, is looking forward to his return to international cricket.

“I feel it’s another good opportunity for me to re-establish myself and regain that old form that I had when I first got into the team,” the Barbadian said.

Hinds, 20, and 18-year-old Brown had been picked with an eye to the future.

Hooper said: “We’ve got an eye on the one-day games and a development for the 2003 World Cup. Hopefully, they will get a chance to show their value to the Caribbean public.”

Hooper said he was keen to contribute runs himself to secure his position as skipper.

“The Pakistan tour is going to be an important one not only for the team but for myself,” he said. “I want to score really, really heavily.

“I think it’s very important that I do well and more or less lead from the front.”

Hooper will also be able to call on batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul, leg-spinner Dinanath Ramanarine and quickie Cameron Cuffy, who all return after injury.

Experienced paceman Mervyn Dillon is also available again after being sent home from Sri Lanka for refusing to train because of security concerns.

The first Test starts in Sharjah Jan 31.

Squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Ridley Jacobs (vice-captain), Darrell Brown, Sherwin Campbell, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Daren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Dinanath Ramnarine, Marlon Samuels.—Reuters