Simmons backs Windies to flourish

BRISBANE, CMC:

Head coach Phil Simmons believes that hard work in the build-up to the Test series against Australia will work wonders for West Indies as they seek to break their 17-year win drought, when the three-match rubber bowls off later next month.

West Indies have not won Down Under since 1997 and have not beaten the Aussies in a Test anywhere in 12 years.

"Today was the first practice and the guys looked as good as you can look after a long flight," Simmons said yesterday.

"We still have three days practice before the warm-up game and then three more days before the Test match, so I think it is about getting ourselves sharp enough going into the warm-up game and taking the warm-up game as serious as possible and making sure that during the warm-up game we do the things we want to do during the Test match."

West Indies, who arrived last week, will have a four-day warm-up match against the Cricket Australia XI, starting Wednesday at the Allan Border Oval in Brisbane.

Simmons expressed confidence that his young team, led by all-rounder Jason Holder, could come up to the mark on foreign soil against their more experienced opponents.

"The new ball is going to be a big thing and as long as we get accustomed to the wickets and batting on the wickets when it comes time to play the long innings, we will be able to do it," Simmons said.

The highlight of the tour will be the second Test match at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground which will be the historic Boxing Day Test, one of the

iconic features in world sport. West Indies last played in the major event 15 years ago.

The first Test will be in Hobart with the third match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Only Marlon Samuels, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, and Jerome Taylor have played Test cricket in Australia before.