Practice matches being held in Barbados

West Indies players will have their first chance to show off their talents to Bennett King, their new coach, when they play the first of two practice games in Barbados on Tuesday. The training camp is being held to prepare players for the VB Series, a triangular one-day tournament in Australia next year, in which West Indies will take on Pakistan as well as the Aussies.

All of the players have had a week of net sessions and physical training, while the bowlers have been using ice-baths to help them recuperate more quickly. According to Barbados's Nation newspaper, all the players apart from Corey Collymore, who is recovering from a side strain, will take part in the matches.

Tony Howard, the team manager, explained what the practice was for. "We are trying to replicate what we are going to do as much as possible," he told the Nation. "We are going to put on two one-day games between the 25 players so that we will get a chance to see everybody under match conditions."