PERTH–West Indies captain Darren Sammy is hoping to carry the confidence and form of the ICC T20 World Cup into the first of five one-day internationals against Australia at the WACA today.
Even as scans are being carried out on opening batsman Kieran Powell and dashing all-rounder Andre Russell to determine their ability to play today, Sammy was optimistic of his team giving a good account of itself.
Both Powell and Russell sustained injuries during Tuesday's practice match against a Prime Minister's XI which the West Indies lost.
"We are monitoring the guys who got injuries in the last game and hopefully they could recover as quickly as possible," said captain Darren Sammy.
"They went for scans today and we are waiting on the report. So we are keeping our fingers crossed."
Powell was forced to retire hurt with leg cramps eight runs away from scoring a century while Russell is reportedly suffering from a sore knee but is expected to be fit in time for the match.
"Powell retired hurt in the last game and Russell could not bowl his quota of overs," said Sammy.
"They went for scans this morning and hopefully it's nothing serious and they can take part in this series".
The West Indies team will feature a number of players who participated in the recently concluded Australian Big Bash league such as Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach and Sunil Narine.
Sammy believes their participation in Australia's top T20 tournament has also increased the team's chances of success Down Under.
"It will be a massive help for us," said Sammy.
"The experience they have gathered playing here over the years could be passed on to the youngsters like Powell, who had a good outing in the last game and young batsmen like Bravo and Jason Holder and Johnson Charles."
West Indies' five-match ODI series against Australia follows a two-month break after the tour of Bangladesh while the host is seeking to recover from a 2-2 ODI series draw and a two-game T20 series loss to Sri Lanka.
The goal for both sides will be to settle further into a strong combination ahead of the Champions Trophy in England later this year, a prelude to the 2015 World Cup. Australia have plenty of players looking to turn occasional spots in the team into more frequent ones, not least James Faulkner, who has come into the side in place of the injured Moises Henriques, and Usman Khawaja, in for David Warner.
West Indies are reintegrating Ramnaresh Sarwan after a period of mutual discontent and legal action, while Sunil Narine will be among those hoping to demonstrate their ability to deliver strong results on surfaces beyond their home region.
The last ODI series between these two sides ended in a 2-2 tied result, and while Australia have the home advantage, West Indies are the world T20 champions.
"It's all about the team," said the Windies captain.
?