Cricket: Windies bowler set to start despite scrutiny

The West Indies will retain Jermaine Lawson for the second test against Sri Lanka starting in Kandy tomorrow, despite the fast bowler being reported for a suspect action.

Lawson, 23, was cited by the umpires after the first test in Colombo, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

International Cricket Council rules allow a bowler to play on pending a written report from an independent analyst, but further scrutiny could see Lawson being suspended until he has 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.

It is no surprise that the West Indies, depleted by the absence of 10 leading players, including master batsman Brian Lara, because of 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 pitch at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

It has been revealed that the umpires, Simon Taufel, of Australia, and Nadeem Ghauri, of Pakistan, were concerned by Lawson's action while bowling short-pitched deliveries in the first test.

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

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

The West Indians, led by 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 48 not out, but they could find an ally in the weather in Kandy.

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

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