'Chance for the A-Team to impress'

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Hendy Springer, the A-Team coach, has hailed the West Indies Cricket Board's decision to stage another A-Team tour.

The fringe players have been kept quite busy this year, and this will be their fourth series, following a home series against Zimbabwe in April, as well as tours to Bangladesh in May, and England in June.

"There has been some improvement and development," said the former Barbados off-spinner.

"We can define that by looking at the number of guys who have graduated from the A-Team into the senior team since the Bangladesh tour."

He added: "Again, we have more opportunities for these young men to improve and to grow as cricketers and as people.

"The good thing is we are playing all three formats of the game, and this should be a good series for everyone involved."

Preparation necessary

Some members of the A-Team were recently in Barbados at a camp with the senior team, and Springer was confident his side would put in a good showing against the visitors.

"This series has come along at the perfect time," he said. "What we are aiming to do is to prepare the players as well as possible, so that they won't go into the senior team for a short visit, but they go to stay.

"It is a lot of work in the A-Team. It is a necessity as far as the development of West Indies cricket is concerned."

Springer hoped the players would make maximum use of their opportunities, as he tries to encourage his side to play positively.

"We're looking to win the series, and to gain experience, so that when the selectors call, we have someone to put forward," he said.

"It is about the opportunity to play, to compete against strong A-Teams, get experience, and I will hope that in a couple of months, some of these guys will do well enough to stamp their authority at the senior team level."

He said: "With the A-Team, it is all about development, trying to push guys, and prepare them to going into the senior West Indies team."

The first match of the series - a Twenty20 contest - will be played today at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua.

Windies-A and Pakistan-A play two Twenty20 matches, three one-day matches, and two 'Tests'.

West Indies 'A' squad for Twenty20 matches: Dave Bernard (captain) Jason Holder (vice-captain), Miles Bascombe, Devendra Bishoo, Johnson Charles, Kirk Edwards, André Fletcher, Jonathan Foo, Danza Hyatt, Nikita Miller, Ashley Nurse, Ravi Rampaul, Krishmar Santokie.

Team management unit: Hendy Springer (head coach), Stuart Williams (assistant coach), Lyndel Wright (manager), Janel Springer (physiotherapist).