Kingstown (St Vincent): West Indies coach John Dyson believes his emergency Test squad, hastily-assembled following a first-team boycott, has a golden opportunity to make a name for itself.
The West Indies squad to face Bangladesh in the first Test at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex here is being led by long-standing Barbadian left-handed batsman Floyd Reifer and even features a 16-year-old schoolboy player.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was forced into assembling a new-look side after a contract dispute with its leading players.
"Life presents us with some unique opportunities, and that's what this is for a lot of the players," said Dyson on Thursday. "It is a unique opportunity that if they are keen enough, and good enough to take with both hands, good luck to them.
"What we have said to the guys is, 'This is a Test match, and it is an opportunity for them to showcase their skills to the cricket public here in the Caribbean and to the world."
The Australian added: "All I am concerned about right now is getting the team ready, and making sure they have got the best preparation that we can give them - given the very short time we have had them - and just thinking about the match.
"I think the team, given the preparation we have had, is as good as we can get it. Ideally, we would have loved more time, but this is not the case."
Darren Sammy has been named vice-captain, and is the only player in the group that has commanded a regular place in the full-strength West Indies side over the last year.
Fans didn't get a chance to see their new-look team in action as rain meant that not a ball was bowled before the scheduled lunch interval.
West Indies' 13 original players, including regular captain Chris Gayle, vice-captain Denesh Ramdin, top batsmen Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, as well as key fast bowler Jerome Taylor are protesting playing four consecutive tournaments without a contract, outstanding payments, and other issues.
But the WICB was successful in finding 15 players willing to don the maroon cap.
Alongside Reifer and Sammy, fast bowler Tino Best, who earns a recall after four years in the cricket wilderness, and all-rounder Dave Bernard Jr, who featured in the recent home one-day International series against India, are the only other players to have played a Test.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach, who has appeared in two ODIs and one Twenty20 International, is also in the squad, and left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, who has played 15 ODIs over the last year, are also part of the squad.
So too are fast bowler Nelon Pascal and opening batsman Dale Richards. They made the recent trip to England, but failed to break into either the Test or ODI teams.
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