A day before the first Test, the West Indies remained mired in uncertainty while South Africa confidently finished their build-up for the four-match series starting at Bourda on Thursday.
Instead of celebrating a new series, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive Roger Brathwaite was peppered with questions at a press conference on Wednesday about rumours of a possible last-minute strike by some of the players.
”That’s just speculation. We certainly have no communication from the [West Indies] Players’ Association [Wipa] of any form of strike by the players,” Brathwaite said. ”We fully expect that the final 11, once selected, will take to the field tomorrow.”
Any strike would be in support of seven national players, including former captain Brian Lara, who were barred from the first Test team because their endorsement contracts conflicted with the WICB’s main sponsor Digicel.
The WICB, in a separate statement, said it made new proposals aimed at resolving the four-month-old dispute, including sending the seven contracts to Justice Adrian Saunders for final review, with his decision binding. The statement said the review should be completed before the scheduled end of the first Test on Monday.
Saunders ruled in December that players were entitled to their own endorsement contracts, which allowed a tour to Australia to proceed.
Wipa sought to ”maintain the status quo” and allow Lara, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Smith to be eligible for selection during the review.
West Indies head coach Bennett King tried to put a positive spin on his new-look team despite the clouds hovering over it.
”Hopefully, within our own side there are going to be a few diamonds appearing out of the coal,” the Australian said.
Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul makes his debut as captain on the same home ground where he debuted 11 years ago as a wiry 19-year-old.
Chanderpaul, who has scored centuries in the last two Tests at Bourda, will head the batting with a number of unproven players for support.
Wavell Hinds, Devon Smith, Daren Ganga and Ryan Hinds have all been unconvincing at Test level, while Narsingh Deonarine and Donovan Pagon await their debuts.
Wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, the new vice-captain, is the oldest member of the team at 34.
The bowling is led by left-arm pacer Pedro Collins and Barbadian colleague Corey Collymore. Daren Powell and Reon King are making comebacks.
Guarded reaction from SA
South Africa spent their first week in the Caribbean training in Antigua, but guarded against getting caught up in the controversies surrounding the home team.
”We’re confident, we’re looking forward to it, and we’re not concentrating on the hassles of the other side, we’re concentrating on ourselves,” captain Graeme Smith said. ”I know we’re well prepared. The amount of cricket we’ve played, we’re coming here cricket-hardened.”
South Africa, coming off a rout of Zimbabwe, have won 10 of the past 14 Tests against the West Indies, losing only one. They have won the past three series, and held the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy since 1998.
Smith was set to carry emerging talent AB de Villiers as his opening partner, and allow Herschelle Gibbs to remain in a potent middle order that boasts Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph and Ashwell Prince.
Wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and left-arm spinner Nicky Boje further boost the lower-order batting.
Makhaya Ntini and Andre Nel will share the new ball in the absence of injured all-rounder Shaun Pollock, whose seamer’s spot is to be filled by Charl Langeveldt, Andrew Hall or Monde Zondeki. — Sapa-AP