Birmingham, May 29 :     Malcolm Marshall, who underwent abdominal surgery at a city hospital last week, is making ?excellent progress? according to a statement issued by Rudi V. Webster, the West Indies team?s doctor. Dr Webster?s statement suggests the tumour, removed from the colon, was malignant. The following is the text of the statement: Mr Malcolm Marshall had been complaining of abdominal symptoms for many months while on tour with the West Indies cricket team. He had seen a number of medical specialists in South Africa, UK and Barbados who failed to make a definite diagnosis. During the match between West Indies and Warwickshire at Edgbaston, Birmingham on May 10, Mr Marshall had abdominal pain and I felt that he needed an urgent medical opinion. At lunch time that day he consulted Tariq Ismail, consultant colorectal surgeon at the Priory Hospital, Edgbaston. Detailed tests, including X-rays that day, confirmed that Mr Marshall had a tumour in his colon. He underwent an abdominal operation on Saturday, May 22, by Ismail and his team who performed a resection of part of his colon. He is now seven days post-op and is making excellent progress. Mr Marshall has taken the events of the last fortnight with courage, fortitude and exceptional inner strength. During his recovery Mr Marshall has been and will continue to be in contact with Sir Vivian Richards and the team to advise on tactics and strategy for the rest of the World Cup. He will need to have a period of convalescence before starting adjuvant chemotherapy under the care of Professor David Kerr, head of clinical oncology, University Hospital, Birmingham, NHS Trust. Mr Marshall has expressed the wish that if the treatment goes well he will resume his duties as coach later in the summer. Mr Marshall said: ?It?s obviously been a difficult time for me but I am extremely grateful both for the excellent treatment and for the support I have received. I am now looking forward to making a full recovery as soon as I can.?