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Members of the West Indies team in New Zealand began training in small groups yesterday after players tested negative for COVID-19 at their biosecure facility.
Most of the West Indies team and management arrived in New Zealand last Friday and have been quarantined in Christchurch on the south island.
They spent the first three days in isolation and, after the test came back negative, they began training at the New Zealand Cricket High Performance Center in Lincoln, outside Christchurch.
Players must undergo two more tests on day 6 and day 12, after which they can train in larger groups.
Head coach Phil Simmons believes adjusting to the conditions will be the challenge.
Simmons, during a press conference via Zoom, explained: “I think the challenge is adapting to the environment. New Zealand is different from Australia and they are close to each other, but New Zealand is different, it is different from England, where we played our last series.
He continued: “This is how we adapt to the atmosphere, the conditions and everything that is here.”
Simmons so far was satisfied with the way things are going.
“It’s been great since we got here. At the airport they treated us very well and things were done in the most professional way possible, ”he declared.
He also welcomed the invitation from New Zealand.
The West Indies is the only team that traveled twice during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Simmons pointed out that it was an advantage for the team to travel early as “[the] kids can get a chance to see what it’s like. “
“We have a couple of practice games before … and I think that is an important part of the preparation: that we work on the things that we are going to achieve in this series,” he said.
He admitted that New Zealand was going to be difficult, but felt that the preparation over the next few weeks will be important for his team to give a good account of itself.
The West Indies will play two practice matches on November 21-24 and 26-29.
The brown side will fight New Zealand in three T20Is on November 27, 29 and 30 before the two events on December 3-7 and December 11-15.
Test team: Jason Holder (captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Chemar Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach.
Test Reserves: Nkrumah Bonner, Joshua DaSilva, Preston McSween, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales.
