KANDY (Sri Lanka), July 20: The second-string West Indies will retain Jermaine Lawson for the second Test against Sri Lanka here from Friday despite the fast bowler being reported for a suspect action.

The 23-year-old Jamaican was reported by the umpires after the first Test in Colombo which Sri Lanka won by six wickets inside four days to take the lead in the short two-match series.

International Cricket Council (ICC) rules allow a bowler to play on pending a written report from an independent analyst, but further scrutiny could see Lawson being suspended till he had rectified his action.

“It has been decided by the West Indies Cricket Board that Lawson will remain with the team in Sri Lanka,” team spokesman Imran Khan said on Wednesday.

It is no surprise that the West Indies, depleted by the absence of 10 leading players including master batsman Brian Lara due to a sponsorship dispute with their cricket board, will risk Lawson again.

He was the lone bowler to trouble the Sri Lankans in the first Test, claiming four wickets in each innings by gaining considerable bounce even on the featherbed wicket at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

It is learnt that first Test umpires, Simon Taufel of Australia and Nadeem Ghauri of Pakistan, were concerned by Lawson’s action while bowling the short-pitched delivery.

“The umpires had concerns with potential elbow flexation when viewing the bowler’s action with the naked eye,” ICC match referee Mike Procter of South Africa had said in an earlier statement.

Taufel will stand again in the Kandy Test with Tony Hill of New Zealand.

Lawson had been reported earlier after taking 7-78 against Australia in Antigua in 2003, but played in two Tests in England last year without any problems.

The second-string West Indians, led by the seasoned Shivnarine Chanderpaul, put up unexpected resistance in the first Test but still lost in four days even though rain allowed only 25 overs to be bowled on the third day.

The tourists will once again rely on Chanderpaul, who top-scored in both innings with 69 and an unbeaten 48, but they could find an ally in the weather gods in the Kandy Test.

Locals forecast rain on all five days of the match, a usual feature in this hill resort in July and August.

Only 45 minutes play was possible during a Test against India here in 1993 and almost three days were lost to bad weather when New Zealand played here two seasons ago.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are hoping for clear weather and an improved display by the batsmen to sweep the series.

The fancied home team was reduced to 47-4 and 113-7 in the first innings and 49-3 in the second chasing a modest target of 172.

Sri Lankan chairman of selectors Lalith Kaluperuma was critical of his team’s performance in Colombo, but remained confident of a better showing from Friday.

“We made a lot of mistakes in batting and bowling and played loose cricket throughout the Test,” said Kaluperuma, a former Test off-spinner.

“Being out of international cricket for almost three months, the team looked rusty on the field.

“But they are competent enough to perform better than what they displayed in the first Test.”

The old guard of Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, who claimed seven wickets each in Colombo, are expected to revel again in conditions better suited for bowling.—AFP