BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies A will launch their tour of Bangladesh today when they clash with South Africa A in the second match of a triangular limited overs series in Dhaka.
They will face the young Proteas at 9:15 am (1:15 am Eastern Caribbean time) in the first of four matches in the tournament which also involves hosts Bangladesh.
Coach Henderson Springer said yesterday he expected South Africa to be tough opponents but said his side was ready for the challenge.
“They will provide a good test for us. They arrived here before us and they have been playing four-day matches,” said the former Barbados off-spinner, speaking from Bangladesh’s capital city.
“They will be a strong challenge, but that is what we came here for, to challenge ourselves and see how good we are and how good we can become.”
West Indies A are being led by our-of-favour Test batsman Travis Dowlin and also includes Test left-handers Brendan Nash and Devon Smith.
Springer said since his side’s arrival, they had been working hard to acclimatise to the hot weather.
“We have had three sessions since we arrived here in Bangladesh and we are getting used to the conditions. It is very hot, around 40 degrees Celsius, so hydration will be a key for the players.
“They are all fully aware that they need to do to stay fit and strong. Some of the players have been here before so they know what it can be like and they have provided good advice for the other members of the team.”
Following the limited-overs series, West Indies A will play two four-day “Tests” against Bangladesh A and Springer said he expected the spinners to play a key role on the slow wickets, while warning his batsmen that patience would be crucial in getting runs.
“The pitches look dry and look like they will be slow, so the spinners will come into play, which is the usual thing in this part of the cricket world,” the former assistant West Indies coach pointed out.
“We have three spinners in our side – Shane Shillingford, Imran Khan and Odean Brown – and with these three in the line-up they will provide us with good options.
“Our batsmen can be counted on to get good scores on these pitches as long as they stay patient and keep the team goals at the forefront of their mind. We will need to be patient and watchful and once you get in stay in and maximize that opportunity.”
SQUAD – Travis Dowlin (captain), Lionel Baker, Darren Bravo, Odean Brown, Kirk Edwards, Justin Guillen, Imran Khan, Brendan Nash, Nelon Pascal, Omar Phillips, Shane Shillingford, Devon Smith, Gavin Tonge, Chadwick Walton