PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP):
YOUNG WEST Indies pacer Jermaine Lawson should be fit in time to face Sri Lanka next month in the first of two Test matches, a top team official said.
West Indies Cricket Board president Wes Hall made the announcement on Monday, saying the board requested an additional two weeks from the International Cricket Council before beginning a corrective programme for Lawson's suspect bowling action.
The 21-year-old, whose bowling against Australia is under review by the International Cricket Council, has been diagnosed with bulging discs in the lower back.
He first complained of soreness in his back during the fourth Test against Australia earlier this month, a match in which he was reported by umpires David Shepherd and Srinivas Venkataraghavan for a suspect bowling action.
They reported questions about the legality of some deliveries, and the ICC was expected to make recommendations for the bowler to avoid future problems.
"Lawson has hurt his back and has been receiving treatment. We sent that information to the International Cricket Council requesting an extension of two weeks before he begins correction work on his bowling action," Hall said.
"We wrote to them informing the ICC that he will start his work when he is free of pain, and we expect that he will be pain-free in the next week and a half," Hall said.
He said he expects Lawson will have recovered and be ready to play in the first Test with Sri Lanka in St. Lucia starting on June 20.
Lawson hasn't played since his seven-wicket performance in the fourth Test against Australia.
He is scheduled to work with former West Indies fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Kenny Benjamin in Antigua for coaching help once he is recovered.
