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Still hopeful Australian club blocks Carl Hooper's return
Posted: Wednesday January 05, 2000 05:33 PM
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) -- Allrounder Carl Hooper's attempt to return to captain Guyana in a Caribbean cricket tournament -- and possibly regain his place on the West Indies team -- has been thwarted by the Australian club for which he plays, an official said Wednesday. Hooper called the Guyana Cricket Board on Wednesday to say he had to drop plans to return because Melbourne's Carlton Club was holding him to a contract covering the season that does not end until March. "Carl informed us of his availability some weeks ago and we appointed him captain," Guyana Cricket Board president Chetram Singh said. "He told me he had been given verbal clearance to come back by the club's secretary but that this had been recently overturned by a meeting of the directors." The Busta Cup regional tournament starts in Trinidad on Thursday with venues in several Caribbean countries through to the end of February. According to Singh, Hooper was informed of the decision by letter as he was preparing to leave for Bridgetown, Barbados, where Guyana play their opening match against Barbados, starting Friday. "Carl is still hopeful that he will be released so that he can return in time for the remaining matches," Singh said. "He said he was hoping to meet with the directors to plead his case." He added: "He's very keen to play and told me he was even willing to buy out his contract." Hooper, a 32-year-old veteran of 80 Tests and 183 one-day internationals for the West Indies, retired from international cricket last April during the series against Australia. "My heart was not in it any more," Hooper said then. But in November, he had a change of heart, announcing he'd like "a farewell season" and hinting at regaining his place with the West Indies. "I wouldn't want to be taking the place of a younger, emerging player but if that player isn't ready right now, that would make it easier to return," he said. The West Indies are preparing to play a series of Tests and one-day internationals against Zimbabwe and Pakistan in the Caribbean between March 16 and May 23 before going to England for a series of five Tests and a three-way series of one-day internationals against England and Zimbabwe during the summer. If Hooper is released for the remainder of the season, the West Indies Cricket Board would have to rule on his eligibility for selection to the Test team. Its stated policy is that players must turn out in all Busta Cup matches to qualify except in "extenuating circumstances." Hooper gained recent support from West Indies team manager Clive Lloyd who said he would "welcome him back into the team with open arms because he still has a lot to offer." "He is easily one of the best batsmen in the world today and the best player of spin bowling," Lloyd said last month. "We don't know what caused Carl to retire when he did but it seemed to me to be premature."
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