Muttiah Muralidharan in Kandy on Thursday

Kandy: West Indies players have thrown their support behind troubled fast bowler Jermaine Lawson before the second Test against Sri Lanka.

The 23-year-old Jamaican took eight wickets in the opening Test on his return after a back injury but was afterwards reported for a suspect bowling action for the second time in his career.

Lawson’s action will be reviewed by biomechanical experts appointed by the International Cricket Council but he is allowed to continue playing and West Indies are expected to name him in their team for the second and final Test which starts on Friday.

“All the boys have been giving him their support and sticking right behind him,” captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul told reporters after the West Indies’ final training session before the match at the Asgiriya International Stadium.

“We have to support the decision taken by the ICC, but hopefully Jermaine will get over it and be free again to stop worrying about it and keep on playing.”

When asked about Lawson’s state of mind after the official report which is a serious threat to his international career, Chanderpaul said: “He is okay at the moment and has been working really hard in the nets.

“He is available for selection and the important thing is that he just focuses now on this game.”

West Indies need Lawson ? who bowled with pace, bounce and hostility in Colombo ? to be firing on all cylinders in the second Test after losing the opening game by six wickets.

Sri Lanka go into the Test boosted by the quick recovery of star bowlers Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralidharan from a flu virus.

The veteran duo, who struck a rich haul in the six-wicket romp for the hosts in the first Test in Colombo last week, were the latest victims of the virus that gripped the Sri Lankan team.

“Almost half the side had been down with the virus in the past few weeks,” captain Maravan Atapattu said after the team’s nets.

“It started with the manager (Michael Tissera) and I too had it before the first Test before some of the others got it.

“Vaas and Muralidharan were the worst affected, but they have recovered well and will be fit to take the field on Friday,” the captain said.

Left-arm seamer Nuwan Zoysa and leg-spinner Upul Chandana are expected to come into the reckoning for Sri Lanka in place of young allrounder Gayan Wijekoon and left-arm spinner Rangana Herath.

Chanderpaul, although frustrated by his team’s poor preparation for the test due to unsettled weather, is sure his young team can level the series. “We have to come back well in this Test and go out there to play some tough cricket to win this one.

“During the first Test we had an opportunity to bowl them out for under 200 but we let them off the hook. This time we have to stick to our plans.”

TEAMS

SRI LANKA (from): Maravan Atapattu, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Thilan Samaraweera, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Muttiah Muralidharan, Lasith Malinga, Gayan Wijekoon, Russel Arnold, Rangana Herath.

WEST INDIES (from): Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Powell, Omari Banks, Kerry Jeremy, Deighton Butler, Sylvester Joseph, Narsingh Deonarine, Dwayne Smith, Tino Best, Jermaine Lawson, Xavier Marshall, Runako Morton, Ryan Ramdass.

Umpires: Simon Taufel and Tony Hill. Match Referee: Mike Procter.