 The producer says, what's a Monday without talking cricket, I guess it would be a cricket less Monday. Anyhow, West Indies will step onto the battlefield to play Australia on Tuesday evening, Caribbean Time with their inexperienced, but we hope heartfelt, hard-filled squad, yeah, full of heart. The Windies were dominant in a drawn warm-up match against the cricket Australia 11 with Joshua De Silva, Craig Brathwaite and Kavim Hodge getting among the runs and Shamar Joseph catching fans with his fiery spells, captivating the fans. Vice-Captain Zahra Joseph spoke to the media ahead of the contest. We expect to come in and give them a challenge. We're here to win two test matches, we're not just here to play, so we're going to come out here and give it our best. Everyone's here wanting to play for the West Indies. It's an opportunity for everyone to represent their country, so I don't think there's any nervousness in the camp. I think it's more of an excitement. Yeah, the first test is set to pull off at 7.30pm ECT, that's 6.30 in Jamaica on Tuesday. Fazir Mohamed joins us now to continue our look ahead to the end counter fans. Hope you are doing well on this Monday, on the eve of this test match. I want to pick up from where we left off on Friday actually with the starting 11, the playing 11 for the match at too much football over the weekend with Afgan and the Liga and the English Premier League, but the playing 11, because I thought you made an excellent point on Friday when you pointed out that maybe Kurt McKenzie is the man that gets left out of the 11 and because he is an incumbent, I think it did not dawn on me that he could be the one to be left out and then I went and had a look at last season's averages and where these players would have batted. Kurt McKenzie batting at opening and batting at three in regional cricket, averaging just about 18 and Kavim Hodge was rather impressive batting in the top four, averaging, well, relatively, averaging 38 and so you could well be on to something where a Kavim Hodge could be in the top four with Alec Athene as in there as well and Kurt McKenzie may well be the man watching this one from the dressing room. Quite possible and I won't get any genius points for that one because I mean, Kurt McKenzie has played just one test match that was against India, the rain ruined the test match in Trinidad and Tobago, so he doesn't have a lot to go for him either in the 18-12 South Africa or indeed in that last match that was played just a couple of days ago. So yes, you've got a situation where there's so much inexperience, you more or less have to go with who's on form, who's got the established experience. For example, Craig Brathard goes without saying, Taysian Rai, Chandipore is only one year in test cricket but he seems a lot more experienced than some of the brand new newcomers in the team as well. So yes, the situation with McKenzie, you would really want the young man to take advantage of his opportunities but he hasn't. So therefore for those who have had good performances with either bat or ball to give the West Indies a fighting chance, at least limiting Australia if they can with the ball, those are considerations that I'm sure are part of the mix going into the start of playing just over 24 hours time. Yeah, if you knew nothing about this West Indies team, nothing about this Australian team, nothing about what has happened in the build up to this test series and you listened to that interview with Zahra Joseph, you would think that there is genuine belief in this West Indies squad. Well, they have to believe and this is the thing Ricardo, even in your heart of hearts, you know you're up against it. You have to believe. I don't think anybody, male, female, man, woman or child goes into a contest saying that, you know, we're going to lose and we're going to lose badly. This is all about damage control. No, you have to tell yourself, look, we've got to put up a fight. We can only do the best that we can do and if we put up a fight and lose and come over with some credit grade, if we hammer, if we mutilated, we've got to learn from it. And I'm not going to use that whole tired phrase about learning experience because that seems to be a cop out and easy excuse. But yes, they have to believe that they can't very well turn up in front of the media and say, well, you know, we're hoping that we don't lose inside three days. We don't want to lose in two days. We want to lose on the fourth and fifth day. That sounds defeatist. They have to believe in themselves. They have to believe whether it happens or it doesn't, that they can put up a fight that will give them some level of recognition and credibility. You know, I don't want to make this trivia alphas, but had it been me, I probably would have said, I just want to go out there and do the best we can and hopefully not be embarrassed. Well, that's why you're not in the team. That's why I'm not in the team either. Because the fact is that when you talk like that, when you go back in the dressing room, you're probably not in the dressing room. Yeah. Just speaking like that. But again, that's our job. And you know, people often get tied up in this sort of thing when they ask you, well, what do you think is going to happen in the series coming up? And you say, well, we're going to lose two days. They'll say, you don't like the West Indies. It has nothing to do with life. Like or dislike. It has nothing to do with that. It has to do with what you see as, as best as you can, a fair and balanced assessment of the state of play. Yeah, Faz, I was thinking that the moment he asked you the question, I'm like, that's why you're sitting here and you're not leading the West Indies team. But, you know, speaking about leading the Wendy's team, how much will it come down to experience? We have players who would have faced Australia recently, players like Alzari Joseph, Kimar Roach, Craig Brathwaite. How much will the younger players be drawing on that experience to at least put up a competitive fight? They'll have to rely on those players to lead from the front. Craig Brathwaite has a lot of experience. He's a pretty phlegmatic character. He's never really too expressive. Alzari Joseph has come on by leaps and bounds over the last year and a half. And he's been rewarded with leadership of the Leeward Islands. And now he's the vice captain of the West Indies. So you've got these players. You've got Joshua De Silva just four years into Test cricket. Now someone who's seen in the leadership role, he's led the West Indies 18. These players have to take to the front to show the players that look, don't be daunted. It's it's challenging. Let's not beat around the bush. Every indicator points to the West Indies losing and losing heavily. But having said that, you have to back yourself. And that's why those players, Kimar Roach, for example. And again, Kimar Roach is a classic example. You look at his numbers, the argument was legitimately put forward that he shouldn't be in the final 11. But again, because of that experience, because of that know how, because that he might just be able to rein things in when the runs are flowing too quickly, that you want his experience in a really inexperienced team. And someone like a Shamar Joseph, who we're just seeing taking a wicket in that warm up match. Yes, he's exciting. Yes, he's got raw pace. But also just keep in mind, and this is another caveat that will get probably get the fans upset. Australians love fastballing. Australians love taking on fastballers. So it is going to be a very interesting challenge when you see someone like a Shamar Joseph or an Al-Zari Joseph to a LSEX and Kimar Roach taking on the Aussies, if it is that there is a bit of juice on that pitch at Adelaide, especially on day one, because you know for sure if the Aussies win the toss, they'll be batting first. Yeah, so Faz, what do you think if the Westonese wins the toss, they'll have an advantage if they decide to bowl first? Well, I don't think the Westonese have an advantage anyway, as far as the overall situation. But I would think it probably hinges on the conditions a lot, because Adelaide, and I probably made this point before, is considered probably the best of the cricket pitches in Australia, the international surfaces. It's not one of those dropping pitches that are generally very much the same as so many others. It has a bit of juiciness, a bit of life on day one. It flattens out, gets better for batting, but still the bowlers are encouraged, the fast bowlers especially. And then if you get to days four and five, if the Westonese do that, then because the spinners coming into it. And that's why it's considered the classic test smart surface. But again, the whole issue about the toss is another thing. It's a 50-50. You either win it or you lose it, you bat or you bowl. And therefore, you can't mope and gripe if it turns out that you're taking on Mitchell Stark, Pat Cummins, and the Aussies very early on, Kiesel Wood and then Lyon. Whatever happens, you have to prepare yourself for that challenge. You can't say, well, we hope into when they toss the bowl first so that we wouldn't have to face the fast bowlers. You can't think like that. Yeah, a quick question here, because the Windows haven't won a test match in Australia since 1997, February 1997. So that's going towards 30 years. And I'm going to ask you this, although I know the Aussies aren't like this, but could the Aussies be underestimating the Westonese here and going to the game complacent and that by itself could give the Windows a look in? I don't think so. Because just the issue that we were discussing this last week, I was making the point to Ricardo that it might be a level of desperation to have Steve Smith opening the batting. Well, we now know that he is opening the batting, that that's confirmed, but it's not out of desperation. It's because he's been nagging the selectors and his captain since the Ashes series and probably even before that he wants another challenge. And yes, there may be the element of disregarding the Westonese to say, well, okay, we could try it against the Westonese. And there may be that element to that. It'll only be human to be thinking that way. But again, given the way the Australians are so competitive and indeed so ultra aggressive to the point of almost being obnoxious at times, I would be very surprised if by any inkling of complacency steps into their game during the course of this test match. I saw a suggestion fuzz that Steve Smith being elevated to the top of the order and specifically in this series might have something to do with a magical 400 figure. People will see all sorts of things. And one thing I've learned in watching the Australians, they are not obsessed with those things. I recall Mark Taylor declaring overnight in Peshawar in Pakistan in 1997, I believe it was on 334, which was the level with Don Bradman for the highest score by an Australian in test cricket. And he said, that's good enough. I want to win. I want to win test matches. And then therefore, maybe it might be a case of if they bat out the first day and he's 200 and something odd or whatever. But even then, I would be very surprised because again, for Australia, their priority is to win. If the records come along with like Matthew Hayden's surpassing of Brian Lars 375 against Zimbabwe, it should not be jeopardising their chances of winning. So again, I can't really talk because I've been proven wrong many, many times over. But I would be very surprised if the priority is Brian Lars 400 not out, which is why he's opening. Yeah. And another thing, Fazz, because we have to be searching here for pluses for the West Indies because it's very hard to find them seven non cap players. And the West Indies have taken better teams on paper in the past 27 years and not one. So all pointers suggest that the West Indies would would lose this series. But there are times, Fazz, when there are new players onto the scene globally and bowlers haven't yet worked them out and opportunity for new players. As we saw Adrian Barth with 100 on his test debut in Australia, the young trainee at 19 years old. Could there be that kind of player among this on cap group that could come and give the Aussies some trouble? It's quite possible. But again, you mentioned that Adrian Barth 100, the West Indies still lost the match in Brisbane inside three days. So again, there's the reality for you. And this is why test cricket is so difficult. You could have one sterling performance. Shamar Joseph could go on day one and get six for 47 on Australia, maybe routed for 174. But then again, you would be asking yourself how are the West Indies going to fare in reply? So these are the realities. There's a personings, there's a second inning. But yes, what I'm trying to take some hope from, if you recall 2017 in England, where the West Indies lost the first test match in Birmingham inside three days, losing 19 wickets on day three, and then responded with the greatest turnaround in the modern history of test match cricket, beating England at heading Lee chasing down over 330 in the fourth innings. So with Shea Hope, what's up with Shea Hope, what's up? Exactly. And at that time, many people were singing the praises of Shea Hope as the next great West Indies test batsman. Look at what has happened. He barely averaged over 25 in test cricket. After that, to the extent that he's lost his place. So, so yes, there are possibilities for tremendous, sterling, brilliant performances by some of the newcomers. But it really has to be a collective effort to win any test match and especially to beat Australia in Australia. Yeah, first one final one in just about 15 seconds. In your heart of hearts, how long do you suspect this test match will last? Three days. That's coming from your heart. But I hope it goes five days. My heart of hearts, three days. Lance, how long do you think it's going to last? I'll say four. Mariah. Four. Yeah. Lance and Mariah will always go to the best possible situation. Okay, because they'll never be in the middle and they'll never be the worst possible situation. You would be the worst possible situation. They really want to say five, you know, Fazz. Lance and Mariah. I want to say five. That's what they want. But Ricardo, I'm not sure why you're saying that because you know, I'm a great admirer of Australian cricket. How do you respond to that? Lance. Because I've always, I've always said Australia is the hardest team to beat in the world and I respect them highly. Is that your defense, Lance? It's not a defense. I'm just saying that you have read me incorrectly. Let's see what he thinks. I haven't. What do you think? I really haven't. I'm with Fazz. Two and a half days. All right. Fazz. I think it's very important for the guys to put up a fight. More than anything else. However, whether it's three days, four days, two and a half, they've got to show some backbone. They've got to show some fight. Yeah, very much the case and that's what we're looking forward to. It will be live on your home of champions. As we say, thanks to Fazz for today. We'll be speaking with him throughout the course of the week as we recap the daily action from the Adelaide over. Let's remind you of what the West Indies Quad looks like heading into this two-test series done under, remember, seven uncapped players in the Craig pathway. Captain Ewan Ittle, Zahra Joseph is the vice captain. Tejna Ryan-Chandepole was in Australia last year and he will be looking to put up some quality performances. Kurt McKenzie with just one test match under his belt. Alec Athenez, limited experience at this level as well. Kavim Hodge, Justin Graves, two of the uncapped players, but they have been in very good form with the bat in the lead up to the series. Joshua De Silva, the Wicked Keeper batsman coming off a century in the warmup game. Akeem Jordan has been in Windy Squads before and he is in this one as well. Gudekesh Moti coming through as the number one spinner in the region. Kymar Roach with all the experience in the world, the best West Indies fast bowler of the last 10-15 years. Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlak, Shamar Joseph and Zakhar Makasky, the other uncapped players in this West Indies unit. The first test balls off from the Adelaide Oval, 6.30 p.m. in Jamaica on Tuesday, 7.30 Eastern Caribbean time and we'll see how these West Indies players will fear against the very best team in the world playing with all the confidence that one could want on a sporting field. The Australians are on a high can the West Indies take them down under? We go to a break. We'll be back with more on the Sportsmax Zone.