West Indies' captain, Carl Hooper, has warned his players to focus on the cricket and not on safety concerns as the West Indies begin their first tour to the island for eight years.
Hooper had voiced safety concerns prior to the teams departure before reassurances were given by the Sri Lankan board, but expects his team to be able to focus on the cricket despite predicted election violence over the coming weeks.
"As professionals, we have to focus straight on the cricket," he said. "If we start worrying (about) what is going to happen off the field with the politics in Sri Lanka, then it will be a wrong note to start the tour on.
Hooper admitted the Sri Lanka posed his stiffest challenge yet overseas as captain: "Obviously this tour is going to be a sterner test than the Zimbabwean tour but I think we've got the players to deal with it," he said.
Team manager, Ricky Skerritt, who visited Sri Lanka recently to check on tour arrangements and met with top officials in the Ministry of National Security, was convinced that security was not a big issue for the team.
"What they tell me in Sri Lanka is that this is very local – political party versus political party – and it gets heated up close to the election," he said.
"We don't expect to experience any of it – or very little of it. "If we find that the security arrangements are not to our satisfaction, we are going to try to get it improved and if we can't get it improved, we'll have to take other steps."
Meanwhile, coach Roger Harper has brushed aside concerns that the team would be adversely affected by injuries to star batsman Brain Lara and wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs saying that he expected both players to play a full part in the tour.
The team's preparations have been marred by injuries. Key middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul was forced to pullout with back problems, whilst Lara (hamstring) and Jacobs (finger) were included despite not having fully recovered from their respective injuries.
Chanderpaul's replacement, Jamaican left-hander Wavell Hinds, was then forced to stay back for surgery to his nose after being hit by a short delivery from former West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner in a festival match on Sunday. He is, however, expected to re-join the squad shortly.
Jacobs, who was originally injured in a domestic one-day match, attended a pre-tour training camp in Jamaica but was not able to participate fully in net sessions.
Harper was unconcerned: "We've seen Ridley in the past operating with injuries and it hasn't affected his game one iota. He is the sort of character that once he has committed himself to going on tour, he will give his all and I expect nothing less of him on this tour."
Lara's injury is longstanding, stretching back over a year to the West Indies tour of England. He played through series against Australia and South Africa whilst suffering from the injury and was finally forced to pullout of the Zimbabwe tour in July.
"Brian has had an injury which has plagued him for a while," Harper admitted, but added, "The doctors feel that it is an injury that can be managed and should not really inhibit him providing he follows the proper management and rehabilitation programme set out for him. We expect that he'll be able to perform very close to his best on this tour."
The West Indies arrived in Sri Lanka on Thursday morning where they are due to play three Test matches and a tri-series also involving Zimbabwe. Sri Lanka have only played three Test matches against West Indies in their 111 Test match history.
Full West Indies squad:
Carl Hooper (captain), Ridley Jacobs (vice-captain), Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Marlon Samuels, Wavell Hinds, Leon Garrick, Neil McGarrell, Dinanath Ramnarine, Colin Stuart, Mervyn Dillon, Marlon Black, Reon King, Pedro Collins. Ricky Skerritt (manager), Roger Harper (coach), Ronald Rogers (sports therapist).
© CricInfo
| Teams | Sri Lanka, West Indies. |
| Players/Umpires | Carl Hooper. |
| Tours | West Indies in Sri Lanka |
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