Taylor ruled out of first Test

West Indies pace-man Jerome Taylor has been ruled out of the first Test against South Africa, starting next Thursday in Guyana, because of a stiff back.

Taylor, the only one of the 14-member squad for the first Test to not have signed a series contract with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), has been advised to rest for four to six weeks, thus ruling him out of the next Test as well.

West Indies will be without seven of their top players, including captain Brian Lara, who all have dropped out for selection because of sponsorship disputes with the board.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul will lead the side in the first Test in Lara’s absence.