THE West Indies are in a quandary over the composition of their bowling for tomorrow's first Test against England at Lord's.
One of their four fast bowlers, Ravi Rampaul, is eliminated by an injury that is likely to end his tour and, given the evidence from the inadequate rehearsal of two three-day matches over the past week, two others, Fidel Edwards and Jermaine Lawson, are palpably unprepared.
It opens the distinct possibility that both Dwaynes, Bravo and Smith, would be on Brian Lara's team sheet when he hands it to Michael Vaughan prior to the toss, as much for their sharp medium-paced swing bowling as their more vaunted batting.
With Pedro Collins, the most experienced of the youthful attack, to utilise the new ball with his left-arm swerve and seam and Omari Banks, the tall Anguillan, to add balance with his off-spin, it would leave Tino Best, the live wire whose personality has already excited the media here, as the only one capable of genuine pace.
If not an expected turn of events, it is not entirely surprising.
The sore shins that have kept Rampaul inactive since the NatWest Series one-day international against England on July 1 effectively put the promising 19-year-old out of contention for what would have been his first Test series.
He underwent an MRI scan on the problem on Monday and the team's media officer, Imran Khan, said yesterday a decision on his future is expected today.
With the first two and the last two Tests back to back and packed into a month and only one three-day match in between, he seems certain to be replaced by Corey Collymore, the first stand-by.
Lawson only returned to international cricket in May following a year's absence legitimising an imperfect action and overcoming a back injury.
He clearly will take time to regain the confidence and the rhythm that allowed him to consistently top 90 miles an hour and blow away Australia's batting with his seven for 78 in the Antigua Test last year.
He was inconsistent in the NatWest Series and has lacked penetration in the warm-up matches against MCC and Sri Lanka `A'.
Edwards joined the tour following the NatWest Series, after breaking down during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kingston last month.
He has spent the intervening five weeks in physiotherapy and building up his strength with gym work in Barbados, but his first competitive cricket since was against the MCC and Sri Lanka `A', managing a single wicket for 197 runs from 32 overs, an average of 6.15 an over.
This is the 22-year-old Edwards' first time in England and the way of the modern game offers little time for newcomers to acclimatise to the distinct differences they find in Test cricket's northernmost venue.
He possesses the pace that would complement Best and captain Lara, whose influence fast-tracked him into the Test team just over a year ago after a solitary first-class match, places great store by his potential. But his inclusion would be a gamble.
Both in the NatWest Series and in the two subsequent three-day matches, Bravo has been the most effective West Indies bowler - and Smith has lost little by comparison.
Bravo is deceptively quick off the pitch and varies his stock outswinger with an off-cutter and slower balls. If Smith is generally a few miles an hour slower, he is capable of an unsettling bouncer.
The ideal arrangement would be for the speed and hostility of Best supported by either Edwards or Lawson in top form. But that is clearly not the case.
Bravo, 20, Smith, 21. and Banks, 22, are the rounded cricketers so long missing from West Indies teams.
If they are all in the eleven, they lengthen the batting that would extend to Banks at No.9 and spruce up the fielding, an area that continues to daunt coach Gus Logie.
They carry heavy responsibility on what, for each, is an important developmental tour but it will test their characters.
Banks has already stood up to the challenge pretty well in his six Tests, Smith's immense natural ability is immediately evident, if yet to be harnessed, and Bravo has taken little time in confirming the impression he has made for some time now.