month after being diagnosed by team doctors as suffering from severe exhaustion and irregular blood levels.

Ironically, Richardson had first approached the West Indies Board regarding the condition of two of his fast bowlers, Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, however, on his arrival at his homeland in Antigua when it was revealed that he was the one who most needed a break.

Conversely, Walsh has already seen action, captaining Jamaica against Bermuda in the second match of their current tour.

"When Richardson returned from Sri Lanka on December 20, he was more concerned about the state of Ambrose and Walsh in terms of them being slightly jaded and did suggest that he might approach the West Indies Board to ask that the two bowlers be omitted from some of the Red Stripe matches,'' reported Reds Perreira of the BBC World Service Radio.

"But after getting back to Antigua himself, he didn't feel that well and saw a West Indies Board doctor on December 23.

"The doctor diagnosed that Richardson was suffering from extreme fatigue and a low blood count and suggested that the West Indies' captain in fact take a month off from the West Indies' season.'' This follows the team's recent return to the sun-drenched islands after an extensive tour that also included stops in India and the Middle East, where they endured extremely hot and dry conditions, vastly different from the moist tropical climate of the Caribbean.

One Test match was played -- a rain-affected draw with Sri Lanka -- as the tour was made up of mostly limited overs matches, including a triangular competition called the Sharjah Cup.

Richardson did not travel to Barbados to lead the Leeward Islands against Barbados in their opening Geddes Grant and Red Stripe games. The side will instead be lead by fellow West Indies international Keith Arthurton.

It is hoped that Richardson would be back to play the last Red Stripe game against Guyana on February 10-13 in Georgetown, Guyana and get some important match practice before the England tour starts.

The first one day game against England is scheduled for February 16, in Barbados, while the opening Test begins February 19 in Jamaica.

Many Bermudians are expected to fly south to watch the series where the West Indies enter as heavy favourites.