12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

PORT-OF-SPAIN, May 11: West Indies captain Brian Lara on Monday blamed injuries to key players for his side's failure to perform this year.

West Indies lost a four-Test series in South Africa 3-0 in January, and conceded last month's home four-Test series to England by a record 3-0 for the first time since 1968.

Bangladesh has arrived for a two-Test series expected to offer some local relief. Though dismal batting was at the core of West Indies' flops against England, notwithstanding Lara's own record 400 not out in Antigua after the series was already decided, the skipper highlighted missing injured bowlers in his regular column for Trinidad Guardian newspaper.

Lara noted Jermaine Lawson, one of the region's fastest bowlers, whose action needed remedial work after he was reported against Australia a year ago when he strained his back, and off spinning all-rounder Omari Banks, who departed from the South Africa tour with a back stress fracture.

Also sidelined from that tour were fast bowler Jerome Taylor (back), and batsmen Wavell Hinds (groin) and Marlon Samuels (knee). None became fit enough to play England, but Lawson, Banks and Hinds have been named in warmup matches against Bangladesh.

Banks' absence was underlined when the West Indies didn't have a strong spinner in the fourth Test against England in Antigua last month, which could have brought a win instead of a draw, according to Lara.

"In hindsight, we would have cruised to victory in that match if we had the services of any specialist spinner on such a pitch," he said. He said the injuries have disrupted the team's line up. "In every team there is a core of player who make for its existence and when that becomes fragile, the team obviously suffers," Lara wrote.

"As captain of West Indies team I found myself having to rearrange that core because of absent players through injuries. In any normal situation the senior players would look after themselves and also take one or two younger players under their wings."

But even a toll was taken of senior players, including the vastly experienced Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who was dropped from fourth Test against England because of fatigue, but returned to play well in one-day series.

West Indies, fallen to eighth in 10-team world rankings, plays last-ranked Bangladesh in the first of three One-day Internationals on Saturday in St Vincent. -Agencies