West Indies and Pakistan will play 2 Tests from August 12 at Sabina Park, Jamaica.
West Indies head coach Phil Simmons said the hosts’ preparations for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan are “a little disappointing” as they didn’t have any work done before joining the training camp.
The two-match Test series will be played at Sabina Park from August 12-16 and August 20-24. The Betway Test Series will kickstart the new cycle of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) campaign for both the West Indies and Pakistan and Simmons has expected a tough contest at home.
Well, the big cause of concern for the head coach is that a lack of game time and practice for the players, like most players of the 17-man provisional squad, last played Test cricket against South Africa in early June and since then, they didn't get any work done in their home territories.
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Simmons stated: “As far as I know, none of the [warm-up] games were played and there wasn't enough work done before the players got here. Quite a few players said they didn't get any work done in their home territories before they came to this camp and four-day game. It's disappointing to know they've gone home and there's nothing done. They have to come back and we've got to start from scratch when we get here, so it's a little disappointing.”
On the upcoming Test series, he noted: “We've always had tough battles with Pakistan, with any Pakistan team that comes to the Caribbean or we go there. So, it is going to be another tough series. They have done well in the last two Test series and they're coming here on a high. Even though we are playing at home, we are a little bit of an underdog in this but we know that we're going to try to put everything into it and make sure that we come out on top.”
Recently, West Indies lost the Test series 2-0 to South Africa and Simmons stressed that his team needs to improve their batting significantly having been struggling against quality bowling to win the upcoming Test series against Pakistan at home.
He signed off by saying, “It is the start of a new series and we will try to the best of our ability and make sure that things improve. I think there's no hiding from the fact that our batting needs to improve and get to a healthy stage where we can score 400 in an innings on a more consistent basis. And the bowlers need to continue doing the job that they've been doing well in order for us to get high up, so we have put in everything into making sure that our batting starts to improve.”
Here’s the West Indies provisional squad for Pakistan Tests –
Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Jomel Warrican.
(With Cricbuzz Inputs)