It’s been six days since West Indies began their training session in a bio-secured environment at Manchester’s Old Trafford. The first Test against England will start on July 8, still a few weeks to go, but the players can’t venture out with Britain struggling with Covid-19.
Currently, they are at the on-site team hotel.
Phil Simmons, the head coach agreed that it is not easy to spend all day indoors, but then there is not much choice. “The biggest challenge is boredom,” Simmons said on Saturday, during an interview.
The West Indies players keep themselves busy with indoor games such as dominoes, cards once the training is over. Simmons told the media, “There’s always dominoes, if you have been to the Caribbean that is a highly explosive form of entertainment, especially when you are playing Six Love.”
Besides that, the team has a simulation golf centre too. The head coach added during the interview, “We have cards, a few things the guys are enjoying.”
While captain Jason Holder is keen to ensure players stay in good spirits.
West Indies’s pace ace Kemar Roach revealed their current conditions to the media, “being in your room a lot more than usual is probably a little more taxing on the brain.” But he also agreed that they’re in the UK for cricket, and that’s the main focus.
Simmons also admitted that the players were “hungry” for cricket resumption. He revealed that they want to play and train. The touring team will play squad games before they get into real action; a three-day game starting June 22, followed by a four-day tie starting June 29. In fact, those games will give West Indies a reality check over where it stands, ahead of the series.
However, Simmons does not see the ban on saliva as a major impediment to bowling attacks since players can still use sweat, which would ultimately help the bowlers. The experienced coach is also optimistic that if Shannon Gabriel can prove his fitness, then he might be a part of the playing 11.
The coach claims this is the ‘best possible’ team, with Dwayne Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul pulled out of the England tour.
