Jerome Taylor not yet fit - Gibson

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has said paceman Jerome Taylor is still not ready for competitive cricket and will not be rushed back prematurely, with less than three weeks before West Indies are due to host the World Twenty20.

Taylor has not played since limping out of the first Test against Australia in Brisbane last November and is yet to feature in the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival, where West Indies are playing Jamaica, Ireland and Canada.

"He has not played yet in the festival yet but the intention is to play him later this week, maybe Saturday or Sunday, but currently he is still doing all the strengthening and the 'back to bowling programme'," Gibson told CMC.

He was picked in the West Indies squad for the Festival and also in the official 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 and Gibson is confident that the rehab is going well.

"Jerome is progressing nicely. He is doing all the things we asked him to do. He is doing some bowling and he is doing a lot of strengthening work, which he needed to do since he has his injury.

West Indies will be without paceman Fidel Edwards, who is recovering with from back surgery, for the tournament but Gibson is hopeful that Taylor will be available.

"He is a lot fitter than when I saw him two weeks ago in Barbados, so the signs are very good for him moving forward. He is getting closer and closer at all times and as I said to him, his main focus is to get fit for the first game [in the World Twenty20]."