Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
Head coach Phil Simmons has described the four-day match against the Australia Prime Minister’s XI starting on Wednesday as “hugely important”, stating it will allow West Indies to reacquaint themselves with the challenges of the pink ball.
The touring West Indies side will face Australia under lights in the second and final Test in Adelaide – their first pink-ball Test in four years – and Simmons expects the day/night tour match at Manuka Oval to provide vital preparation.
“[It will be important in] just getting accustomed to the pink ball. I think it is a little bit of a difference [to the red ball],” explained Simmons, ahead of the game scheduled to start at 2 pm (11 pm, Tuesday, Eastern Caribbean time). “Some of the guys have played a pink ball Test or two but most of the guys haven’t so it’s just about getting accustomed to it … and it’s a good thing we have this game so we can get accustomed to what it (pink ball) is going to do at different periods at different periods of day and night and just prepare ourselves for Adelaide.”
He added:
“That’s the things you have to look at; make sure we are bowling the right lengths with the ball. It’s going to be different to the red ball. It’s just getting accustomed to it.”
The game will be West Indies’ last tour match before they take on the powerful hosts in the opening Test in Perth starting 30 November.
“I think it is hugely important how we bowl and how we sharpen up as batsmen, it’s going to tell a lot about how we go into the Test match in Perth, so it is hugely important,” Simmons said. “We have been successful at Perth over the years. The carry and the pace of the pitch and batters being able to play shots freely. I think (here) will be a little bit different, but hopefully it won’t be too much different here to Adelaide.”
At the conclusion of the Prime Minister’s XI match, West Indies will travel to Perth in Western Australia for the first Test against Australia. This will be at the Perth Stadium from 30 November to 4 December. The second Test will be West Indies first pink ball Test in Australia. It will be played at Adelaide Oval in South Australia from 8 to 12 December.
Full Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Devon Thomas
Full Tour Schedule
17-19 November: v ACT/NSW XI at Philip Oval, Canberra
23-26 November: v Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval, Canberra (day/night)
30 November to 4 December: 1st Test at Perth Stadium, Perth
8-12 December: 2nd Test at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)
Name of Author: Cricket West Indies
Cricket West Indies (CWI) governs cricket across the West Indies, a confederation of Caribbean countries. Originally established as the West Indies Cricket Board of Control in the 1920s, it became the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) in 1996 and was rebranded as Cricket West Indies in May 2017 as part of a restructuring effort.
