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Brian Lara made the obvious and comforting point yesterday that the return of Carl Hooper and Shivnarine Chanderpaul would appreciably strengthen the West Indies team for the remainder of the Cable & Wireless Series. But he and his fellow selectors are still left with the constant problem of finding a reliable opening pair.

Lara indicated that it was now up to the contenders to state their cases in the two matches prior to the critical third Test in Barbados March 26-30. Both, over four days, start Saturday, the Busta Cup final between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago at Kensington Oval, and the West Indies ``A'' team game against the Australians at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

``A lot of guys will be on show and hopefully they can use the opportunity to impress the selectors,'' he said. ``You can leave it up to the individuals but I think that, with this sort of victory (by 10 wickets in the second Test to level the series 1-1), everybody will have the impetus to move forward and really challenge to be a part of this team.''

Sherwin Campbell, returning to the Test team after a productive Busta Cup, and Suruj Ragoonath, given his belated chance at the age of 29, have opened in the two Tests so far, the fifth separate pair used in the last six Tests. But they failed to provide a start, separated at 16, 3 and 4 in the three completed innings.

Campbell and Ragoonath will be on opposite sides in the Busta Cup final, starting on Saturday, as are Philo Wallace and Daren Ganga who preceded them in the role, with similar lack of success, in the last Test in South Africa in January.

Stuart Williams, who has had 28 Tests and almost as many opportunities since his debut in India in 1994, has been recalled by the desperate selectors for the ``A'' team against the Australians where his opening partner will be the 19-year-old Jamaican left-hander, Chris Gayle, an unlikely alternative at this stage of his promising career.

Two other left-handers who will bat at No. 3, Adrian Griffith for Barbados and the Jamaican Wavell Hinds for the ``A'', could figure in the deliberations with a convincing innings.

Another alternative would be Dave Joseph at the top of the order - except that he made it plain prior to the second Test that he was uncomfortable in the unaccustomed position of No. 3 in Port-of-Spain, in spite of his impressive 50 on debut. The upshot was that he was demoted to his more familiar No. 5 and Lincoln Roberts, on debut, was sent at No. 3.

``Dave was carded to bat at No. 5 in the first Test match but, because of injury to Roland Holder, he had to move up the order,'' Lara explained. ``He expressed that he had never batted that high in the order before and would appreciate it if he could get the chance at No. 5.

Roberts out

``We have to respect the individual,'' he added. ``Lincoln Roberts has batted around that position for Trinidad and Tobago, No. 3-4, and even though he was making his debut, you've got to understand that a lot of players around were very inexperienced and you've got to take up the challenge.''

Roberts was out for a seventh-ball 0, caught off his wrist off Glenn McGrath, while Joseph, at No. 5, made 12.

With Chanderpaul returning at No. 3 and Hooper at No. 5, there would be no room in the middle-order for Joseph who has looked completely at ease in his first Test series, both with his batting and his close catching. He could only be retained as an opener and, given the continuing fruitless search among the specialists, the selectors could do worse.

Hooper arrives in Antigua from Australia today to lead the ``A'' team and first must prove his fitness, if not form. He has not had any cricket since the end of the South African tour February 7, remaining in Adelaide with his Australian wife to be with their seriously ill infant son whose condition has now improved.

Chanderpaul, who strained ligaments in his right shoulder in the later stages of the South African tour, has been given the medical all-clear to return for the Barbados Test. He has been reportedly practising and playing club cricket in Guyana.

Lara believed their inclusion would have an effect on both his team and Australia's.

``I've played with them for many years and know what they're capable of,'' he said.

``Psychologically, it will have a good effect on the (West Indies) team and maybe a negative one on Australia who have just been beaten by a team without two of our main batters.''

But Lara added a cautionary rider to his enthusiasm.

``We expect them to come in fully fit and ready to compete at the highest level,'' he said. ``They are well aware that the Australians are not easy opposition so they need to be focused immediately they come back.''