Gayle urges players to stand up

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC):

West Indies captain, Chris Gayle, is urging his players to take fresh guard for the Digicel Series against South Africa.

After failing to make the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20, Gayle is hopeful that the West Indies can turn things around for the South Africa matches that get going today with a Twenty20 International at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.

"It is going to be challenging. We are up against a top team. It is going to be difficult. At the same time, we have to try and apply ourselves and rebound," Gayle told reporters at the press conference yesterday.

West Indies had a mixed run at the World Twenty20, winning both Group Stage matches before slumping to defeats in two of the three Super Eights matches.

While conceding that South Africa were formidable opponents, he believes there will be less pressure on the Caribbean side for this series which comprises two Twenty20 Internationals, five one-day internationals and three Test matches.

"We've just got back as a group. Twenty20 is a pressure situation. The guys should be able to cope with it," Gayle said.

"It's not the big occasion - meaning the World Cup - but it's a tough team. We should be ready physically and mentally."

Gayle spearheaded West Indies to a 14-run victory against India with a belligerent 98, but his teammates were unable to do anything of note with the bat for most of the World Twenty20.

As a result, the captain feels that the players who have been retained should see this series as a chance to impress.

"It should be a wake-up call. It is a pressure situation. The couple of days off could have let the players look into themselves a bit more and look to step up against South Africa," he said.

Meanwhile, the outfield and facilities have been given the thumbs-up by the two captains.

Gayle said: "It is good to see Antigua back on the map. It is a really nice facility here and well suited for the game. The outfield appears to be in good shape and we are looking forward to playing some good cricket out there. You can see a lot of work has gone into getting things ready for the matches and that is good to see."

South Africa's captain, Graeme Smith, noted: "We have been here for a few days and the field looks quite good. It is quite firm and when we went out there we did not have any problems."

He added: "We were happy with what we saw. We are ready for the matches and we look forward to what is in store for us."

The Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground was not on the original schedule for the series but was included after the matches were moved from Trinidad, where general elections are due to be held on May 24.

Last year, the venue was taken off the international list for a one-year ban by the International Cricket Council (ICC), after the outfield was deemed inadequate for play.

The ICC conducted a full inspection late last month and the ground was cleared to host international matches again.

TEAMS

West Indies: Chris Gayle (Captain), Dwayne Bravo (Vice Captain), Shiv Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Narsingh Deonarine, André Fletcher, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin, Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Nikita Miller, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (Captain), Alviro Petersen, Loots Bosman, J.P. Duminy, Jacques Kallis, Hashim Amla, A.B. deVilliers, Mark Boucher, Rudolf van der Merwe, Johan Botha, David Miller, Ryan McLaren, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Charl Langeveldt.

MATCH OFFICIALS:

Umpires: Clyde Duncan, Norman Malcolm; Television umpire: Clancy Mack; Fourth official: Goaland Greaves; ICC match referee: Roshan Mahanama.