02 March 2004	Tuesday	10 Muharram 1425

ST JOHN'S, March 1: The West Indies Cricket Board has appointed Brian Lara captain for the home series against England and Bangladesh, the board said in a statement on Sunday.

The board also said selectors had named a 16-man squad to prepare for the first Test against England starting in Jamaica on March 11. The squad will be reduced to 13 by March 8 after a training camp.

West Indies will play four Tests and seven One-day Internationals against England who tour until May 7, before meeting Bangladesh in two Tests between May 28 and June 8.

Meanwhile, West Indies bowling legend Courtney Walsh has been asked to help prepare the current crop of pacemen for home series against England. Walsh, who took a record 519 Test wickets, will coach latest crop of fast bowlers, who have been struggling to make an impact recently.

"The bowling has been a real concern for everyone in West Indies in recent times," he said. "I hope I can use my experience to help them to do a better job."

"I think the areas that really bother cricket fans are the lack of consistency and lack of penetration. I believe once we solve our bowling problems we will be a force to be reckoned with."

West Indies have uncovered a number promising pacemen, including Jermain Lawson, Fidel Edwards and Jerome Lawson, but a combination of injuries and inexperience has limited their impact.

The recent tour of South Africa highlighted the problem as home batsmen helped themselves to a succession of hundreds. Walsh has called on West Indies Cricket Board to make more use of former players in an effort to revive team's ailing fortunes.

"West Indies board should be using more of their quality players to help with the team," he said. "There are so many very good, and even great, players sitting in West Indies, but they have not been asked to help in any way by the board.

"There is Curtly Ambrose, Sir Garfield Sobers, Joel Garner and others who have contributed so much to West Indies cricket and could help this team significantly."

Squad: Brian Lara (Captain), Carlton Baugh Jr, Tino Best, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Dave Mohammed, Ricardo Powell, Adam Sanford, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith, Dwayne Smith, Dwight Washington. -Agencies