 OK, so we're still talking Cricut on the Sportsmax on the West in this team will start their tour of Australia later this evening Caribbean time with their three day tour match against the Cricut Australia 11 led by Peter Hanscom the squad includes seven on cap players some of whom are expected to make their debuts in the first test. Let's have a quick look at the squad. Bradford captain Azor Azar Joseph is the vice-captain. Tatian Ryan Shandepoel, Kurt McKenzie Alec Athanez, Kevin Hodge, Justin Graves, Joshua De Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gurakesh Moti, Kimar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlak, Shamaar Joseph and Zachary Makasky. Coach Andre Coley is confident in his team's ability to compete even with the new players. They're not strangers I would have played against each other in the original Cricut and recently we toured South Africa some of the players are here and the comadres been been very good I'm actually been very impressed in terms of the feedback and some of the nurturing from senior players you know watching them take leadership I mean Azari, Kimar has been very good in terms of older and younger players and giving insights around their experiences so that's been good to watch as well outside of the obviously the ship of myself and Craig. Andre Coley there the head coach of the West Indies test team now international Cricut commentator Nikhil Utam-Chandani joins us via zoom from South Africa Nikhil welcome to the Sportsmax zone great to have you on the show and happy to hear that you're in in South Africa getting ready for a major assignment thank you very much Lance and great to be here as always discussing West Indies Cricut happy new year to the entire zone family yeah all right let's talk quickly about the huge challenge that faces this inexperienced West Indies team because seven on-camp players going to take on an Australian team which in the past week reclaimed the number one spot in the world test rankings seems a mountain to climb and Geoffrey Dujan the former West Indies wicketkeeper batsman suggesting that he lightens this to sending the lamps to the slaughter would you go as far as to suggest what Geoffrey Dujan has said well to be honest Lance I'm always very optimistic about what West Indies Cricut and I'll give Cricut West Indies some credit as well I heard what Andrew Coley said just now the fact that they've been able to organize a few tours one to Bangladesh one to South Africa away from home where the nucleus of this current test team has been thinking it will help in terms of the experience but I watched that Pakistan versus Australia test series very closely almost every single ball really given that time difference and how well it worked out for us in the Caribbean and boy I can tell you by the world test championship by the rankings by the personnel that Australia team is I think can go down as one of the best that we've ever seen and I think it's the boiling attack that has a lot to do with it you've got Steve Smith who's averaging over 60 and probably luckily for the West Indies there's no David Warner but Kawaja La Bouchaine and the list goes on and on so I think it's going to be a steep mountain for the West Indies to climb and I think for me I look less at the results and more about an opportunity for seven and cap players to really stake a claim and really put their name out there and show the world what they're capable of doing against the world's best yeah I'm talking to us quickly about some of the on-cap players though Nikhil because for decades we have accepted that here in the Caribbean or domestic structure doesn't properly prepare our players for international cricket and Wave of Hines who was a co-host of mine at the Sportsmax zone here when we just started 10 years ago had always said that our players have to be learning on the job at the highest level because that's where they really start to take on the level that they're asked to compete at at international standings but you know some of these players a few of them Barbadians like Hakeem Jordan and Justin Graves and Zachary Makasky and and the seven on-cap men generally how talented are they because I don't want to write them off we know that Australia are going to be huge favorites here that's for sure there's no question about that but sport is played on the field and we've seen upsets and we've seen surprises is there enough quality in some of these players you think Nikhil that that could probably create some surprises for the Aussies yeah I definitely think they have the capabilities to challenge I think another factor going into the series I mean cricket has become so technology driven now where teams are able to plan and really able to set up for our positions but I think the fact that the Westinese have got so many new faces could almost work in their favor there's almost not enough about these players to sort of for other teams to plan for however I'll say to your point about the pitches it is a big step up for guys like Hakeem Jordan Shamar Joseph who's one I'll be keeping a close eye on just to see I think how far our fast-balling talent is from playing in the best surfaces or sort of more conducive surfaces but also the step up or the difference in the levels because in the Caribbean we've grown used to very spin-friendly pitches in our first-class setup and pitches on the slower side so for someone like Joseph who's short at times you can get up to 145 kilometers per hour he just took 12 wickets in two matches in seam friendly conditions in South Africa I think that in itself is a step in the right direction and something for Westinian fans to be excited for because when he goes to Australian conditions with green grass on pitches and some variable bounce he could be effective and maybe cause some problems for that Australian top order Hakeem Jordan Justin Graves both have also had success but there are more swing bowlers so think they'll be relying on that new ball to really make an impact and it'll be interesting to see how Zari Joseph as the leader of that attack now fits himself into the puzzle with all these pieces around him. Yeah and as we talk about the seven uncapped players Nikhil I think it's very very important that we recognize how essential how crucial the three senior players will be because we have Craig Brassway as you mentioned Elzari Joseph and Kimmar Roach because of course these youngsters and some of them not so young but it's their first time playing will be depending on the experiences of all of these players to ensure that you know they do the best that they can. Well I think starting at Elzari I mean he has shown us so many progressive strides in all three formats in 2023 so I'm really excited to see you know with new responsibility I think he's learned a lot more about his personal game and development so this will be a big challenge but I'm sure he will be relishing it and also I think is why he opted to go out to the series as well understanding that test cricket is really the pinnacle and this is a great opportunity for him but I'll say Craig will be I think even more important if that's possible than he was last year because remember he scored 110 when the West Indies actually challenged Australia in that first test and many thought at that stage that you know the West Indies had a chance of winning that test match obviously things became a bit difficult but I think just on the basis of that stage during Channel Paul that's where he began his test career and was very positive actually found benefit on the pitches there being a bit quicker ball coming onto the bat a bit better and he actually played his shot so it's a great opportunity for the three of them specifically Joshua the Silver's been around for a while and he will obviously have new responsibilities and probably a bit more to do behind the something with batting hand and whether he goes up the order we'll see but I think all for the senior and the uncapped players this is a special opportunity and yes Australia are playing the cricket of their lives however you do well in this series you know the world will will notice the world will know because this is an australian side who have won the ashes they've won the word test championship and as Lance said at the beginning of the show they're number one in the world yeah I don't want to harp too much on what is not or who's missing but how much will be miss adjacent hold on a Cal may has given the conditions. Yeah a lot Maria a lot in terms of the fast bowling pedigree I even think like someone like a German Blackwood who I know has struggled in recent times Ramon Rifa as well but the fact that both of them were on that Australia tour a year ago it was quite surprising to me to see them not return just because of the experience of these conditions and how menacing they can be I mean I look at Baba Azam who has dominated cricket in all formats for the last two to three years and even in Australia every time he looked like he was getting a start and this could be his day he'll get a big hundred they just found a way they threw so much at him to made him play and really challenged him and he's one of the best in the world right now so it just tells you how difficult of a place is to go to and yeah I mean good luck to the West Indies and I think all in all they'll come out as a better team and better individuals. Yeah Nikhil we look forward to see what will happen in that West Indies versus Australia test series I do have one for you though because I see you are traveling the world and having a wonderful time at it we could call you a limited over specialist maybe even a T20 specialist. I do wonder though if you want to do a test cricket. Oh Ricardo a test cricket as I said is the pinnacle you know so anytime the opportunity is awarded I would love to just be around I think what has been cricket's greatest format and I think it's not dead to be honest when I watch test series South Africa India the West Indies and England always have good battles so test cricket is alive and I'm ready anytime. Yeah you know Lance and Mariah and Nikhil the difference is as a commentator the test rewards are probably better than the T20 rewards. I guess they are. I just said Ricardo and you always have me on my toes I just can't even you're I'm pretty tall I just don't know which starts you're going to go in. Well we'll be in touch for sure. Great linking with you as usual and we'll be watching. Well first of all this tour match very closely to see how the Windows boys assert themselves on this opening assignment. Yeah looking forward to seeing you on sports maps guys thanks. OK great. OK just a quick look at some of the stats for some of these on-cap players their first-class stats of course the seven on-cap players in Australia at the moment getting ready for action in this series. Zachary Mckaskey 27 year old top order batter 11 first-class matches 641 runs averaging 30.5 to 100 so far in his career place for Will Dean Barbados. David Imlak the Guyanese also 27 wicketkeeper batsman 17 first-class matches 612 runs 24.48 he's had 100 so we see here as we go through them a lot of lack of experience in the number of first-class matches they've played even coming into test cricket for the first time. Justin Graves a little older than the other two seen bowling all rounder he has 37 first-class matches 1268 runs averaging 26.97 and he's had 100 as well 76 wickets averaging 22.76 he's had four or five wicket holes. He is of course from Barbados. Camim Hodge the Dominique and I can't believe he's 30 years old already he was a junior just a few years ago I guess I'm the one that's getting old and I'm spinner first-class record 55 matches in fact 2,706 of two runs he averages 29.07 he has had 400s in first-class cricket he's taken 55 wickets average 37.80 he's had one five wicket hole. These are the uncapped players on the tour Kevin Sinclair the 24-year-old Guyanese off-spinner and all rounder 21 matches in first-class cricket so far just under 1,000 runs averaging 31.48 no hundreds yet 66 wickets averaging 24.33 and he's had five four wicket holes as a young player I have a lot of time for Guyanese producing a lot of good young cricketers recently Akim Jordan has been around for a while with a CCC in domestic cricket as well fast bowler 15 matches 39 wickets averaging 22.08 he has had two five-git holes so far in his career one of the seven non-capped players in the West Indies squad Shamar Joe's of the exciting Guyanese who has a lot of pace 24 years old only five first-class matches and getting ready to play test cricket 21 wickets averaging 21.80 he has had a couple of five-git holes already in his career so the stats on some of these players based on their experience playing first-class cricket not a lot to go on but let's see how they handle themselves here in this Australia opportunity because they're taking on the best in the world and they've got a tough job to do zone update two coming up after this back in a moment