West Indies v Australia, 1st Test, Barbados, 7-11 April, 2012

The West Indies must fancy their chances here after showing a reasonable run of form lately.

A very dodgy Australian top order with little or no overseas experience (especially at the very top), a debutant wicket-keeper on foreign soil, an injury-prone captain, a couple of veterans whose heads armchair experts have been calling for for 2-3 years now, a bunch of injury-prone fast bowlers, and no leg spinner, just a budding off tweaker.

Australia: Cowan, Warner, Watson, Ponting, Clarke, Hussey, Wade, Harris, Pattinson, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Lyon.

It's even possible that Beer will make the 12 ahead of Hilfenhaus or Harris.

Possible Windies team-

Barath
Brathwaite
Edwards
Darren Bravo
Chanderpaul
Powell
Baugh+
Sammy(c)
Rampaul
Bishoo
Edwards

Narsingh Deonarine is a chance to be recalled as well.

Bring it on!!

no Dwayne Bravo?

Dwayne Bravo hasn't played a test for about two years, has he? He's been pretty average for a while now. Seems to be content on the T20 road show.

Seems to be in some sort of form, though.

The Windies COULD take a gamble and bat Pollard at six. But they wont.

Deonarine ahead of Narine?

Narine will be playing the IPL, wont he? Pity.....

He's picking the IPL over his possible debut? Right twat.

I blame the WICB more than I blame Narine. Firstly, he was bought by an IPL team before he had any idea he would be making his test debut against Australia, and secondly, they STILL haven't sorted out a good contract system, which provides a core group of 12-15 players financial security, that would allow them to chose the Windies over the big bucks of the IPL.

The players that are choosing the IPL ahead of their Countries are either from third world countries, or New Zealanders.

He's whoring for money too. Sure the WICB aren't saintly, but I don't remember the Lankans ever skip tests for the IPL, reduced practice matches, but never skipped tests.

is Baugh the best keeper they have>?

Henry wrote:Narine will be playing the IPL, wont he? Pity.....

that sucks.

The President's XI looks good. I followed Kieran Powell for a while then he dropped off the map for me. Didn't realise he'd come back and played tests! Awesome.

Glad Chandercrab is back.

skully wrote:Bring it on!!

The one thing that will give WIndies a hope. ...

tricycle wrote:He's whoring for money too. Sure the WICB aren't saintly, but I don't remember the Lankans ever skip tests for the IPL, reduced practice matches, but never skipped tests.

Actually Sri Lanka cancelled an entire tour to England due to the IPL. The WICB then agreed to replace them without consulting the players. We then suffered one of the most dreadful tours in recent memeory. It was bloody freezing and we were totally useless.

Windies will be without Gayle, Russell, Narine, Bravo and Samuels for the tests. A compromise would appear to have been reached whereby they will miss the tests against Australia but return for the tour of England.

2009? Aye, my mistake.

It's a ridiculous situation with the Windies and the IPL, though. Basically, EVERY Windies home season overlaps with the IPL, and the players seem to be choosing the $$$$.

If I was a Windies fan, i'd be appalled with both the WICB AND the players.

Henry wrote:It's a ridiculous situation with the Windies and the IPL, though. Basically, EVERY Windies home season overlaps with the IPL, and the players seem to be choosing the $$$$.

If I was a Windies fan, i'd be appalled with both the WICB AND the players.

Surely it would make more sense to be appalled with the IPL being on at the time it is on instead of being on at a time to f*ck up the Indian domestic season.

Frankly, i'm appalled with everyone- The BCCI, the WICB, the West Indies players, the ICC......

They've all contributed to f*ck things up.

That's the spirit!

Is there any YTs amongst that lot?

I haven't found a scoreboard yet, but apparently Harris got four wickets in the warm-up match v the WI Board XI, with Hilfenhaus 'unlucky' and perhaps wicketless. This could be a pointer to the test selection.

For some reason I cannot fathom I keep getting 1972-3 deju vu feelings about this tour. Hopefully no-one's going to emulate Lillee's injury.

*THIS* has a close-of-play scoreboard at the foot of the page. (Just above the bikini.)