Weary Windies touch down in Zimbabwe

HARARE, (Reuters):

The West Indies made a low key arrival in Harare yesterday at the start of a month long tour of Zimbabwe in which they hope to end a disastrous run of form.

The Caribbean players quietly slipped into town while all the talk was about the second Test match between Zimbabwe and India starting today at the Harare Sports Club.

The fortunes of the West Indians have dwindled in recent seasons and the last year has been particularly painful with series losses to England, Australia and South Africa.

Captain Carl Hooper leads a battered side who will be looking to the two-Test series in Zimbabwe as a way of turning their ailing fortunes around.

The West Indies will also play in a triangular one-day series featuring India and Zimbabwe on a tour that is crucial to the game in the Caribbean.

A series loss in Zimbabwe would spell disaster for a team that once had no peer in the game.

"It's very important that we win this series," Hooper said. "The last three series' have been against tough opposition but at the same time we realise that Zimbabwe are not going to be pushovers.

"All the guys in the team recognise the need for us to start getting positive results.

"We keep on saying that the team is in transition but the time has come to start producing on the field."

Manager Ricky Skerritt said the squad was tired after lengthy flying time, but work begins today with their first training session.

They will also have another training session tomorrow morning, ahead of their first warm-up match on Sunday.

"We are going to try to get acclimatised, the temperatures are just a little lower than we have been accustomed to back home," Skerritt said.

"The wickets are probably going to be a little bit more bouncy than we have been accustomed to, so I think the coach (Roger Harper) is just looking forward to getting the players out in the middle," he added.

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