Samuels career in doubt

The career of the West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels appeared to be in the balance yesterday as he agonised over whether to submit to yet more surgery on the chronic knee problem that forced him home early from the team's current tour of South Africa.

The 23-year-old, who was hoping to be fit for the start of England's Caribbean tour in March, has been advised to go under the knife again but is worried that a fourth operation on the joint may end his career prematurely. Samuels is now to consult a New York orthopaedic specialist.

The chairman of West Indies' medical committee, the surgeon Dr Askai Manasingh, has been treating the injury since Samuels was a teenager and has warned him that it is doubtful the knee could take the demands of international cricket without surgery.

Dr Manasingh admitted: "The unfortunate scenario is that no one can guarantee 100% that he will make a full recovery, even with the surgery. He needs bone graft surgery, which is a significant procedure, so it's understandable he would be nervous about it."

The former England seamer Geoff Arnold, who was a player and manager for Surrey, has returned to The Oval as bowling coach. Surrey have also signed the former England Under-19 wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd from Sussex.

Durham have given the former Yorkshire all-rounder Gavin Hamilton the chance to revive his first-class career. The one-time England and Scotland medium-pacer and middle-order batsman is to join on a one-year contract.

The Sussex wicketkeeper-batsman Matt Prior has agreed a new four-year contract with the county champions.

Leicestershire have completed the signing of the former Essex batsman Darren Robinson, who joins on a two- year deal. The 30-year-old opener played 22 matches in all competitions for Essex last season.

In Melbourne, Ricky Ponting warmed to his newly enlarged role as Australia's captain in both forms of the game by ordering his team to sharpen up their fielding for the triangular one-day VB Series, which was due to start with the hosts taking on India this morning at the MCG.

Ponting, who has been laid up with a stomach bug, warned: "I think we put down 15 chances in the [recently concluded] Test series. It's disappointing, we haven't fielded that way for a long time and over the last four or five years we've been regarded as the best fielding side in the world."

Another team once famed for spectacular out-cricket, West Indies, have also been told to get a grip by their captain. Speaking as his tourists prepared to tune up for the final Test against South Africa with a provincial match against Easterns, Brian Lara lamented: "We practise so hard at catching. We try to simulate match conditions, and the guys all manage fine. But as soon as we get into the cauldron of the stadium, the simple ones go down."