CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, CMC – Head coach Phil Simmons has underscored the importance of adapting to conditions here as West Indies begin their quest for their first Test series win on New Zealand soil in 25 years.
The Caribbean side arrived here Friday following a 50-hour journey from the Caribbean and are currently in a 14-day isolation, but will be allowed to begin daily training sessions at their Sports Managed Isolation Facility after the third day of isolation.
In addition to the two-Test series, West Indies will clash with the Black Caps in three Twenty20 Internationals and Simmons said key to any success would be how quickly players navigated the acclimatization process.
“I think the challenge is about adapting to the environment,” Simmons told reporters via a Zoom media conference.
“New Zealand is different to Australia and they’re close to each other but New Zealand is different to Australia, it’s different to England where we played our last series.
“So it’s how we adapt to the atmosphere, to the conditions and everything down here and in a way, it’s a good thing that we have to be here this early that guys can get a chance to see what it’s like.
“We have a couple practice games before … and I think that’s an important part of the preparation that we have to make sure we work on things that we’re going to get in this series.
“We know New Zealand is going to be tough, it’s going to be hard cricket but as long as we get the right preparation over the next four weeks, hopefully we’ll be ready.”
The tour is being played amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and is the second one for West Indies this year following last July’s three-Test series in England which they lost 2-1.
They played superbly to win the first Test in Southampton but suffered batting meltdowns in the last two matches at Old Trafford in Manchester to lose the series and surrender the Wisden Trophy.
Simmons, who assumed his second stint in charge of the squad last October, stressed it was critical West Indies learned from the experience in England if they were to pose a serious challenge in the upcoming series.
“We’re trying to continue to build up. We have to take that Southampton performance and try and see what are the points we need to work on to better that and we have to better that,” the former West Indies Test batsman said.
“It’s very difficult to beat teams at home now and we have to be able to play the best of cricket that we can play on each given day of any Test match to be able to beat the teams higher up the table of which New Zealand is one of them.
“So I think we’re going to try and take a lot of points from Southampton but I think we have a lot of improving to do in New Zealand.”
The series will mark the beginning of New Zealand’s international home campaign following the lockdown last March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will be played under strict bio-secure protocols.
New Zealand, however, has been praised globally for its management of the pandemic, with only 1600 confirmed cases – 75 of which remain active – and 25 deaths.
And Simmons said already the touring party had been made to feel safe by authorities since their arrival, which augured well for the series.
“It was brilliant to be able to play earlier in the year in the UK and now it’s great again to have the opportunity to come to New Zealand and be invited by New Zealand Cricket and the New Zealand government to be here and we’re looking forward to it,” he said.
“It’s been great since we got here. At the airport we were well looked after and things were done as professionally as they can be.”
All members of the touring party tested negative for COVID-19 prior to their departure from the Caribbean last Tuesday and also tested negative upon arrival here.
The series runs from November 27 to December 15.
