BRIDGETOWN, April 8: Carl Hooper, the former West Indies captain, pulled out of the squad on Monday to face Australia in the home Test series starting on Thursday.

A West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) spokeswoman said that Hooper, replaced by Brian Lara as captain last month, had changed his mind and would not be playing against the world champions after initially being selected.

“This has been a difficult decision but one I felt must be made given the developments in recent weeks and the new direction the team is heading,” a statement from Hooper of Guyana said.

“Though it’s tempting to play, it would curtail the development of a younger player and, as I see it, also a backward step for West Indies cricket.”

The squad announced last month included wholesale changes from the party which failed to progress past the opening group stage in the World Cup.

All-rounder Hooper, 36, has played 102 Tests for West Indies with a batting average of 36.46 and 49.42 with the ball.

He took over as skipper when Lara stepped down three years ago after West Indies were white-washed on a tour of New Zealand.—Reuters