ICC Chief hopes for more day/night test matches to be organised

West Indies head coach Phil Simmons expressed confidence on Sunday that his fledgling side can perform well in Australia in an upcoming series involving three Tests.

“Once I get home I’ll talk to the medical staff a bit more and map it out and see what it looks like”, he said when asked whether he would be fit for the two-test return series against New Zealand in February.

Australia defeated New Zealand by three wickets in the first ever day-night Test by three wickets yesterday at Adelaide. “You got to believe you can get the better of them and if you do that then you start to gain respect and you will find yourself at the same level with them probably even past them”.

However, Peter Siddle has a back niggle and team management have been anxious about Josh Hazlewood’s workloads since the first Test against New Zealand.

West Indies are without all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard, who have still not been forgiven for their role in the abandonment of last year’s tour of India, while opener Chris Gayle prefers to play lucrative Twenty20 cricket.

“We’ve been very pleased with the way he’s played when he has played”, selector Rod Marsh told reporters.

Australia on Tuesday turned to James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile to replenish their diminishing fast bowling ranks for next week’s opening Test against the West Indies.

“So we’ve had our eye on him for a long time and we’ve been very pleased with the way he’s gone when he has played, but as you all know he’s also been a fast bowler who hasn’t been injury-free”. Hazlewood’s bowled a total of 119.1 overs throughout the three-Test series and Smith noted he would need a rest soon.

Coulter-Nile hasn’t played first-class cricket since the Sheffield Shield final in March but Starc backed him to deliver if called upon.

Australia’s fast bowling stocks have been hit in recent months by the retirements of Ryan Harris and Mitchell Johnson, while Mitchell Starc could miss up to 12 weeks with a foot injury.

“It’s pretty hard to separate the two teams over the last two Test matches”, he said.

“I never saw Shaun playing for his Test career”, he said.

Nevill is yet to register his maiden Test ton, however Marsh felt the 30-year-old’s feat of dragging Australia from 5-80 to 224 in Adelaide was just as remarkable.