Visa problems for New Zealand ground West Indies players in Abu Dhabi

Nov 26, 2008 Sports

Benn, Edwards, Ramdin held up in London

By Sean Devers
Visa problems have grounded the entire West Indies squad, except head coach John Dyson, from traveling to New Zealand for their cricket tour which is scheduled to run from December 7 to January 13.

Barbadian Sulieman Benn, Fidel Edwards and media liaison Philip Spooner along with Trinidadian wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (who were traveling to New Zealand from the Caribbean) were holed up in a London hotel waiting for the West Indies Cricket Board to obtain visas for them.

The rest of the squad remains in Abu Dhabi, where they have been in training, since the conclusion of a three-match One-day International series against Pakistan.

The West Indies are scheduled to face Auckland on December 7 in their only warm-up game before the first Test in Dunedin from December 11-15.

The Caribbean line-up which lost all three of the One-Dayers against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, will play New Zealand in two Tests, two 20/20 Internationals and five ODIs on their five-week tour to New Zealand.

The West Indies then return to the Caribbean to start their home series against England with the first of four Test matches in Jamaica from February 2-8.

The regional side will also play a 20/20 International and five ODIs against England on home soil before the England tour concludes April 3 with the final ODI in St Lucia. Guyana will host two ODIs at the National Stadium on March 20 and 22.