DISCARDED West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell, as well as in-form bowlers Andre Russell and Bevon Brown, were omitted for disciplinary reasons but there was otherwise nothing startling in a 13-man squad announced yesterday for Jamaica’s opening game of the 2010 regional four-day first-class season.

Jamaica, the defending champions, will face the Windward Islands at Chedwin Park in St Catherine, starting next Friday, January 8.

As part of a revamped and shortened format from the 2009 season, two other matches, Barbados vs Leeward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago vs Combined Campuses and Colleges, will be played in Jamaica at the same time.

As expected, Tamar Lambert, who led the Jamaicans to a successful defence of the four-day title last year, but was later controversially omitted from the national one-day squad because he was considered physically unfit, will lead the team.

Spokesmen for the Jamaica team management have repeatedly said Lambert has shown marked improvement in his physical condition over the past two to three months.

Chairman of selectors Nehemiah Perry confirmed yesterday that Powell, fellow fast bowler, 21 year-old Russell, and off-spinner Brown, were not considered for the opening game as a result of disciplinary action for breaching team rules.

“It was a simple matter; there were rules in place with consequences if they were breached and the selectors (in consultation with the team management) went by the book,” said Perry.

The three will again be eligible for selection at the end of the

opening game.

Middle-order batsman Brendan Nash, who missed the trials and practise games because he was part of the West Indies team on the recent tour of Australia, is included in the 13.

Other Jamaicans on that tour, West Indies captain Chris Gayle and fast bowler Jerome Taylor, were not considered: Gayle, because of a professional contract requring him to play 20/20 cricket in Australia, and Taylor as a result of a back strain sustained after bowling just nine overs in the opening Test of the three-Test Australian tour in late November.

The squad includes seven specialist batsmen in Lambert, Nash, openers Xavier Marshall and Brenton Parchment, Donovan Pagon, Wavell Hinds and Shawn Findlay — the latter is laying claim to being categorised as an all-rounder following impressive performances as a seam bowler during the trials and preparation period of recent weeks. The established all-rounder is David Bernard who impressed with the bat in the make-shift team that represented the West Indies against touring Bangladesh in mid-year.

Carlton Baugh, who led the Jamaica batting with 484 runs in five matches at an average 60.50 last season, will be the man behind the stumps.

Right-arm wrist-spinner Odean Brown and the left-arm orthodox Nikita Miller, who shared 90 wickets between them for Jamaica last season, are expected to do the bulk of the bowling on a Chedwin Park pitch that traditionally favours spin and which provided prodigous turn and bounce in a three-day practice game which ended on Wednesday.

Andrew Richardson — who will be looking to break into the West Indies team during the home Test series against South Africa in mid-2010 — and the 21 year-old Jason Dawes are the specialist fast bowlers in the squad.

Yesterday, Perry voiced displeasure at the performance of the fast bowlers on show during the trials and practise period. He lamented that Findlay was the only seamer “who consistently put the ball in the right areas”, in the process reaping rich rewards in the wicket column.

Powell, Russell and Bevon Brown apart, those omitted from the 18-man squad (excluding Nash) named earlier this month are the experienced batsman Danza Hyatt, young opener Horace Miller and the left-arm back-of-the-hand spinner Andre Dwyer.

Jamaica squad — Tamar Lambert (captain), Brenton Parchment, Xavier Marshall, Donovan Pagon, Wavell Hinds, Brendan Nash, Carlton Baugh, David Bernard, Shawn Findlay, Odean Brown, Nikita Miller, Andrew Richardson and Jason Dawes.