Sweltering heat good for preparation, say Windies top duo

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,  CMC – West Indies have been forced to put up with sweltering temperatures here as they prepare for their Bangladesh tour but batting consultant Desmond Haynes believes the weather is the ideal preparation for the touring side.

Temperatures well above 40 degrees Celsius have been the feature in the booming Middle Eastern desert city, and have tested the Caribbean players during their final preparations.

West Indies play Bangladesh in two Tests, three One-Day Internationals and one Twenty20 International, in a tour starting next week. “I would say this is good preparation for the series,” said Haynes, the legendary Test opener of the 1980s and 90s. “The weather here is very hot and we know it will be testing in Bangladesh and it will be energy-sapping, so what we are getting here is the chance to plan and prepare well. The players will have to assess the conditions and after that decide and deliver.”

As part of their preparation, West Indies have been involved in the Carib-Asian tournament which also involves the West Indies High Performance Centre, the United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan.