Cricket: Windies keen to make Max impression

By RICHARD BOOCK

CHRISTCHURCH - The West Indian cricketers went back to the classroom yesterday in an attempt to unravel one of the great mysteries of the game. Or a version of it.

The tourists spent their evening receiving a crash course on the theory of the third-generation game Cricket Max in preparation for tonight's tour opener against a New Zealand combination at Lancaster Park.

Seated before whiteboard and video, the West Indies were briefed by Max creator Martin Crowe on the finer points of the game.

To accommodate the coaching session, the West Indies changed to a morning practice yesterday and immediately gave the impression they had the shorter game in mind, with at least eight practice balls sailing out of the training facility and into a nearby industrial warehouse.

Afterwards, skipper Brian Lara rejected suggestions the West Indies might not take the 20-over, two innings contest very seriously, saying his side viewed the game as the official tour opener and were anxious to acquit themselves well.

"We don't know much about it," Lara said. "But this is the first match of an international tour and we'll be giving it our full attention. It's also a chance for the players to demonstrate some early form."

Lara said the West Indies' line-up for tonight's match would not be named until today, but whatever combination is settled upon, a feature should be the number of left-handed batsmen.

Of the top five batsmen in the test team, only Sherwin Campbell is right-handed, in contrast to his opening partner Adrian Griffith, Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Jimmy Adams, not to mention the No 7 - wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs.

It would be no surprise to see the tourists give 19-year-old stroke-maker Ricardo Powell, Wavell Hinds or Darren Ganga a run, but it seems unlikely that Courtney Walsh will be required, especially as Lara has been speaking of the need to stay injury-free.

Meanwhile, as if trying to make sense out of the Max was not distraction enough, the tourists yesterday found themselves caught up in another administrative squabble, this one between team manager Clive Lloyd and convener of selectors Mike Findlay.

Findlay has reportedly taken exception to comments made by Lloyd in an internet interview, during which the former test captain was reported as saying he was "very frustrated with the way things are set up" and that he did not have a say in picking any of the teams.

Lloyd said he was especially upset at not being invited to the West Indies' domestic Red Stripe Bowl tournament and claimed there was a chance he could have ended up with a side he knew nothing about.

However, in a press release in Barbados yesterday, Findlay said there had been "a process of consultation" in place since 1996 but that it did not take place before the tour of New Zealand because the players had been selected before the coach and the manager.

The West Indian convener said he was surprised and disappointed at Lloyd's repeated claims Lloyd played down the spat yesterday, saying Findlay had blown the matter out of proportion.

Teams: Max Blacks: Roger Twose, Nathan Astle, Aaron Barnes, Carl Bulfin, Chris Cairns, Chris Harris, Chris Nevin, Jacob Oram, Richard Petrie, Craig Spearman, Alex Tait, Daniel Vettori.

West Indies squad: Brian Lara, Sherwin Campbell, Adrian Griffith, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jimmy Adams, Wavell Hinds, Ricardo Powell, Ridley Jacobs, Nehemiah Perry, Courtney Walsh, Pedro Collins, Mervyn Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, Reon King, Franklyn Rose, Darren Ganga.