'Unfit' Patel dropped from West Indies tour

Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel was de-selected Wednesday from the one-day leg of England's tour of the West Indies because of unacceptable fitness levels.

Patel was due to arrive in Trinidad next week ahead of a Twenty20 match and five one-day internationals.

He will remain with England Lions, in New Zealand, and Patel has now been replaced in the senior squad by another spin-bowling all-rounder in Yorkshire's Adil Rashid, already in the Caribbean with the Test party.

Meanwhile off-spinner Graeme Swann, who has impressed in the Test series, will return home after the fifth and final Test in Trinidad for an operation on his right elbow. His place will be taken by Gareth Batty.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Patel had failed, despite repeated warnings, to reach an acceptable fitness level.

ECB managing director Hugh Morris said in a statement: "Samit Patel is a talented cricketer but he, like every other player who joins the senior England team, must be aware of the strict fitness criteria that will be set.

"It is extremely frustrating that Samit has not heeded the warnings of his county, Nottinghamshire, and the England national selector Geoff Miller.

"In the circumstances we had no option but to de-select him from the tour."

Patel 24, made a bright start to an international career that now spans 11 one-day internationals.

The ECB added Patel had undertaken two fitness assessments since the start of the year and on both occasions the results were unsatisfactory.

Former England off-spinner Miller said: "The demands of international cricket are huge and Samit must recognise that fitness levels are a vital part of a successful team in international cricket.

"He really needs to understand and grasp that fact because his fitness levels have regressed between his first assessment during the build up to the England Lions tour and the second Test during the first week in New Zealand."

Swann, who plays alongside Patel at Nottinghamshire, has been struggling with his elbow problem and he said: "I have realised for sometime that I would need surgery on the injury.

"We have managed it during the tour but the medical team believe this is the best time for an operation."

LONDON,

Wednesday, AFP