West Indies’ tour match against Cricket Australia XI disrupted by rain

Team manager Richie Richardson says the West Indies, dominated by a crop of young players, must maintain a strong and positive outlook as they confront the mighty Australia in a threematch Test series starting next week.

The panel is also mulling the pressing need to give Adelaide Test man-of-the-match Josh Hazlewood some time off to refresh as Australia faces a three-Test series against the West Indies and two return Tests in New Zealand in February.

That situation will nearly certainly see Victoria’s James Pattinson get an opportunity in Hobart after he was left out of the team for the historic day-night Test against New Zealand in Adelaide.

Concerns about his workload have led to uncapped 26-year-old Victorian Scott Boland, another right-armer, being put on standby for the Hobart Test. “It’ll be very hard for Josh to get through six Test matches this summer and then go to New Zealand and play two more”, Marsh said, adding that selector Trevor Hohns had been impressed by Boland after watching him in three Shield games.

“On the depth chart we’ve got 20 fast bowlers that we rate a chance of playing (for Australia)”, Marsh said. Nearly as many (81 percent) claimed that all Adelaide Tests should now be played under lights.

Australia’s pace depth will be tested by Starc’s injury, which follows Mitchell Johnson’s retirement and another serious back injury for Pat Cummins.

Mitchell Starc will miss the three-Test series because of the stress fracture in his right foot.

West Indies made a shaky start to their tour of Australia, limping to 154-6 on a rain-affected opening day against a Cricket Australia XI at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field. I think once we do well here, what is important is we continue to do well.

“For him it seems natural but he’s had to work extremely hard at it and you combine with his nature around the team, we used to call him the social conscience of the Blues team because he never seemed to rattle any cages, he got on with the job at hand and he was always a bloke we turned to whenever we were in trouble”. “I really don’t see question marks and I hope the players aren’t thinking that way either because that is negative”, Richardson told reporters. “Our players will be looking to establish themselves and gain as much experience as possible”.

On the other hand Peter Nevill has played 65 first-class games and averages 41.01 with six hundreds and 18 fifties with a high score of 235 not out.

“A good result would do a lot for us back home”.

Captain Jason Holder at West Indies training.