Mohammed all set for West Indies debut

Left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed reckons he is ready for his West Indies debut.

"It's all new to me but I feel I can do the job," he was quoted as saying after his surprise inclusion in the squad for the third Test against South Africa, starting on Thursday.

"This is what I wanted -- to play at the highest level. Since I came in to the Trinidad (and Tobago) side I have been playing tough," the Barbados Nation newspaper reported on Tuesday.

"I always had the ambition of playing for the West Indies and I'm very happy," the 21-year-old added.

Mohammed made the squad of 13 for the Test starting at Kensington Oval on Thursday despite playing only three first-class matches.

He made his debut earlier this year in the Busta Cup, taking 13 wickets in two matches. He was then picked for the West Indies Cricket Board XI in the warm-up game against South Africa in Bridgetown over the weekend and bowled impressively in both innings.

He took one for 54 off 20 overs in the first innings and two for 35 off 16 overs in the second innings when he dismissed openers Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs.

Mohammed, who joined fellow Trinidadian and leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine as the second spinner in the squad, said he has "changed around a lot of things" in his game to make it more "complete".

"I feel confident and ready."

He said he had reduced his bowling run-up and tried to concentrate more on his batting.

"The run-up was long and I knew I had to change a few things to make it to a higher grade. I was focused on making the West Indies team. It came quicker than I expected, but I'm happy I could make it," Mohammed said.

The West Indies lost the second Test after an opening draw and will be looking to Ramnarine and Mohammed, along with veteran paceman Courtney Walsh, to dismiss the South Africans twice.

If the two spinners are included in the line-up it would be a remarkable turnaround for a team who once dominated international cricket with their fearsome four-pronged pace attack.

The last time the West Indies went into a Test with more than one specialist spin bowler was in 1976 when Raphick Jumadeen, Inshan Ali and Albert Padmore played against India at the Queen's Park Oval. India won after being set a target of 405.

Mail Cricket Editor