Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been deemed surplus to requirements for this weekend's 4th and final Test in Antigua, with local batsman Sylvester Joseph drafted into the West Indies' middle-order as his replacement.

Chanderpaul, the West Indies' second most experienced current player with 74 Test caps, seems to have been the selectors' scapegoat for another awful team performance in Barbados which saw the tourists win by eight wickets to go 3-0 up in the series.

There must have been a temptation to make more sweeping changes to the batting order but, Chanderpaul apart, the same men who let their country down again will have the opportunity to make amends in St John's.

That may see a first Test cap for Joseph, who made four ODI appearances in 2000 and 2001, and contributed scores of 36 and 50 for a Carib Beer XI against England's second-string attack in the warm-up match just before the 3rd Test.

Chanderpaul's omission has an air of mystery about it though. His playing record in this series – 101 runs in six innings – is hardly anything to write home about, but that doesn't tell the whole story.

The player told the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that he felt "tired and lethargic", and was subsequently asked to see one of the board's medical staff.

Chanderpaul, according to the WICB, then "showed some reluctance to comply with this direction" and was sent home "for further evaluation".

There is no such air of mystery are England's preparations for the final Test as they seek to become the first touring side in history to whitewash the West Indies in their own backyard.

Duncan Fletcher at last appears to be in charge of a nicely-tuned machine, and may elect for another unchanged selection in Antigua.

By his own admission, though, he has been thinking about Chris Read's position as wicketkeeper; Read, despite a string of just about flawless displays behind the stumps, hasn't made runs of any significance since taking over from Alec Stewart at the end of last summer.

Geraint Jones is lurking in the wings, and did himself no harm at all with 66 against the Carib Beer XI in Bridgetown last week.

"He's [Read's] got to get a few more runs," admitted Fletcher. "He's been given quite a good run in there and it's an area we might have to look at, even though his keeping has been very good."

West Indies squad: Brian Lara (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Ricardo Powell, Sylvester Joseph, Dwayne Smith, Ryan Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Tino Best, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards.

6 Apr, 2004