West Indies will come out swinging, warns Williams

Johannesburg, Dec 7 (IANS/CMC) With pundits already writing off the West Indies’ chances against World No.1 Test team South Africa, assistant coach Stuart Williams has warned that the Caribbean side will not simply roll over and play dead.

The West Indies languish at number eight in the Test team rankings and have been given virtually no chance of winning the three-Test series which bowls off Dec 17 in Centurion, reports CMC.

But Williams said the Windies had already acknowledged the tough nature of their assignment and were ready to make their mark on the series.

“We have come here to compete. Obviously we have our hands full. It is a tough task playing against South Africa at home,” Williams told reporters here Saturday.

“They are the number one team but we’re not going to come here and lay down. We are coming to play some positive cricket and we want to win.”

To beat the Proteas, the West Indies will also have to defy the weight of history. Not since the one-off Test in the Caribbean have they defeated South Africa in a series.

Further, they have won just one of 12 Tests on South African soil, losing 10 and drawing one.

However, Williams said there was a strong determination among the group to do well, and said the presence of experienced former players like Richie Richardson and Curtly Ambrose on the management team, would play a key role on the tour.

“Having Ambi and Richie here … helps the guys with their self-belief, commitment and discipline and that sort of stuff,” said Williams. “Our management team and everyone are working together to make this tour a successful tour.”

The West Indies have already been setback by the withdrawal of superstar opener Chris Gayle, who is one of two players in the squad with over 100 Tests, and Darren Bravo, who has emerged as one of the mainstays of the batting in recent years.

They have been replaced by Devon Smith who averages an unflattering 24 from 33 Tests and Assad Fudadin, who played the last of this three Tests nearly two-and-a-half years ago.

--IANS/CMC