The West Indians will be able to forget their off-field worries when they open their tour with a four-day match against Queensland on Wednesday. The side has not played since the end of their costly player strike and has since been written off by the former coach John Dyson ahead of the three-Test series starting in Brisbane next week.
One of the new faces expected to be on show at Allan Border Field is Adrian Barath, an uncapped 19-year-old opener who stands at 5ft 4in. Barath is likely to open with Chris Gayle in what is effectively a trial for the opening Test at the Gabba on November 26.
Barath is from Trindad and Tobago and was part of that team's strong showing in the Champions League Twenty20, but he will have to lift his standards to cope against the Australians. In 22 first-class matches he averages 46.05 and has scored five centuries, including one for West Indies A against England in January.
"I'm confident, I have worked hard and I'm prepared," he said. "I performed well in the Champions League in India for Trinidad and Tobago and I'm looking to continue. All I want is the opportunity to get out there and show what I am made of.
"I am a player who can adapt to foreign conditions. I will play it as I see it." David Williams, the coach, wants to pick a full-strength line-up to allow his main men to settle ahead of the first Test.
West Indies squad Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.
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