Cricket is on the players’ minds, no time to be bored as the boyz from the Caribbean get ready to put back the ‘C’ into cricket.
According to West Indies head coach Phil Simmons, the players have adapted to the new “bio-secure” environment well.
The team arrived earlier this week for the Sandals Tour of England, which will see the tourists defending the prestigious Wisden Trophy in three Test matches – at Ageas Bowl in Southampton and two at the Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester.
“We’re in good spirits. The players and enjoying their work in the nets, and they are also enjoying the time off the field. The facilities here at Old Trafford are second to none, truly world-class,” Simmons told journalists via Zoom link.
He said that the “bio-secure unit” is not much different from what would have obtained in a training camp, and so far, the players have stepped up to the plate in training.
“With everything around and having to be conscious of the world and the entire situation of the world, we still have to be mindful that we are preparing for a Test series against one of the top Test teams on the world. We still have to put everything in place and do everything correctly,” said Simmons.
On the question of boredom, Simmons said, “We play a lot of dominoes … anyone who knows the Caribbean way would know dominoes is a big thing. We also have golf simulators and cards which have kept the guys occupied.”
In the build-up to the series, the Windies will have two inter-squad warm-up matches in Manchester before they travel to Southampton.
All 25 players on tour will participate. The three-day match will be played from Tuesday, June 23 to Thursday, 25 and the four-day match from Monday, June 29 to Thursday, July 2
The Wisden Trophy Test Schedule is as follows:
July 8-12: 1st Test at Ageas Bowl, Southampton
July 16-20: 2nd Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
July 24-28: 3rd Test at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
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