GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Ramnaresh Sarwan is confused about what he needs to do to regain his place in the West Indies team.

The West Indies batsman has indicated in a newspaper report that he has been getting mixed signals from the regional selection panel, after he was dropped from the tour of Sri Lanka next month.

“One time it is my attitude, the next time is my fitness,” he told the Stabroek newspaper. “I am getting mixed signals.

“I have been working on my fitness, so I don’t know what [the selectors] are using, and I have always been committed to West Indies and Guyana’s cricket.”

The axing of the 30-year-old Sarwan for the Sri Lanka trip, followed a snub by the WICB for a central retainer contract in September over his overall fitness.

Sarwan has been unfortunate, suffering two major injury setbacks in the last year. He jarred his back in Australia at the end of last year, following a lengthy layoff with a shoulder injury, and he picked-up a hamstring injury in this year’s home series against South Africa in June.

He returned to the middle for last July’s Caribbean Twenty20 Championship, which his native Guyana won to qualify for September’s Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa.

He came through both without any injury troubles, and he also finished the WICB Regional One-day competition in a healthy state, albeit Guyana exited after the group stage.

“You have to be fit to play [limited-overs] cricket,” said Sarwan, noting that he has been working to improve his fitness after his injury during the South Africa tour to the Caribbean earlier this year.

Sarwan admitted he was disappointed with being overlooked for the tour of Sri Lanka, but he found it hardly surprising.

He outlined that he plans to use the time away from the bright lights of the international game to improve his fitness, develop his cricket, and work with the young cricketers in Guyana that need his assistance.

Sarwan also brushed aside any thought of retiring.

“Everything will fall back into its right place,” he said. “My goal at this time is to commit myself to cricket in Guyana.

“There is the four-day competition and other competitions in Guyana, and I will be meeting with members of the Guyana Cricket Board to discuss strategies on the way forward for cricket in Guyana.”

Sarwan also wished newly-appointed West Indies captain Darren Sammy success in Sri Lanka, and believes the all-rounder can become a good leader.

He also commented on the decision of Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo to turn down WICB central retainer contracts.

He said they were mature enough to make their decisions, and the way the game has evolved “it is their right to sign or not sign”.