CAVE HILL, Barbados – West Indies wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin says he is looking to get the most out of the preparation period as he and team-mates get ready for the ICC Champions Trophy next month.
The 28-year-old, who has kept wicket for the Windies in 97 One-Dayers since his debut in 2005, believes it is vitally important that the team uses the build-up time wisely as they bid to win the Champions Trophy for the second time.
The team is a camp which started on Monday and will end on Friday. They will depart from Barbados on Saturday and have another camp in Cardiff, Wales from May 25 to June 2 as they try to get acclimatised to the foreign conditions.
“A tour to England or a tournament in England …it is always important to get there early to get used to the conditions. The weather is always unpredictable. You have to go there early and get accustomed to the outdoor conditions. Two and a half weeks is good time to get ready. We have two matches before our first match of the competition so that will be very good for us,” Ramdin said.
“We have two new balls now [in One-Day Internationals], not just one. It’s very challenging in England at this time of the year so having the right kind of preparation is great and should do the team a world of good.”
The ICC Champions Trophy will feature eight teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies. The tournament will be played across three venues – Cardiff Wales Stadium, Edgbaston and The Oval – from June 6-23.
The Windies have been drawn in Group B alongside the Indians, the Pakistanis and the South Africans. They open against Pakistan on Friday, June 7 at the Oval and return to the famous venue on Tuesday, June 11 to take on India. The final preliminary match will be against the Proteas on Friday, June 14 in Cardiff.
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