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Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland admits it is a great relief that a full-strength West Indies squad will tour for this summer’s three-Test series.
Reinstated captain Chris Gayle is among a host of the team’s best players who sat out recent matches over a contract dispute, but have been included in the 15-man squad.
Only four players that made themselves available during the strike action – allrounder Darren Sammy, batsman Travis Dowlin and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge – were selected.
Jerome Taylor returns to lead the pace attack, with star batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan and allrounder Dwayne Bravo also back in the fold after the stand-off.
But paceman Fidel Edwards will miss out, after being injured during the recent Champion’s League Twenty20 tournament in India.
Had the dispute continued, it could have led to embarrassingly one-sided matches against Australia, given the weakened West Indies lost their two homes Tests against Bangladesh in July.
“We’ve seen in recent times where a West Indies side has struggled against Bangladesh and others and I guess it’s a great relief to know they’re going to be full strength,” Sutherland told AAP on Tuesday.
“I’m sure they’ll put up a really good performance this summer.
“I think they’ll have a renewed spirit after coming back and having had a bit of time out of the game, it’s a summer of cricket that we’re really looking forward to.”
An understrength touring side would almost certainly have resulted in smaller crowds, weakening CA’s financial return from the summer.
But Sutherland said of greater concern was the damaging effect on world cricket of having the best players refusing to compete at the highest level and the disappointment of fans.
“What we can look forward to now is a fantastic atmosphere at matches,” he said.
“Those three Test matches against the West Indies – in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth – are always, no matter who’s playing, great traditional events and people come from all over the state and even all over the country to attend those matches.
“So no matter who’s playing there’s a great element of tradition about these games, so we expect good crowds.
“But the fact now that the West Indies are full strength means that if there was any doubt, I think that’s all removed now.”
“We have been hoping that this would be the case and it is great news for the Australian summer that a full strength West Indies side will be arriving,” Ponting said in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
“Any time you play international cricket you hope to be playing against the best. The fact they have been able to sort out their issues means we look forward to a tough series in November and December against a team that includes some world-class performers.”
Also named in the squad was Australian-born Brendan Nash, who will return home for the first time as a West Indies player since making his debut 18 months ago.
The West Indies will return later in the summer, for five one-dayers and two Twenty20 games.
Australia will also play three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match against Pakistan.
Windies tour squad:
Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shiv Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.Tour schedule:
Nov 18-21 v Queensland, Allan Border Field, Brisbane; Nov 26-30, 1st Test, Gabba; Dec 4-8, 2nd Test, Adelaide Oval; Dec 16-20, 3rd Test, WACA.
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