Bridgetown, Barbados -- Head Coach of the West Indies team Ottis Gibson has given a massive "thumbs up" to the players for the work ethic they have displayed at the ongoing camp in Barbados, following another full day of work as they prepare for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

On Monday the 15 players for the tour as well as members of the West Indies A Team and other players under contract with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), put in more hard work at the 3Ws Oval of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies. The camp started last week, but there was no activity on Saturday due to the passage of Hurricane Tomas. Gibson said the players have stayed focussed and put in a special effort over the last few days.

“I am very pleased with the work ethic from all the players involved in the camp. Obviously we have had to change our plans somewhat, but the players have made the adjustment and have continued with their preparations in a professional manner,” Gibson said Monday.

“We missed a day due to the hurricane, and obviously there is nothing we could have done about that. Since then the boys have move on and we have seen everyone hitting balls, in the nest working on their bowling and doing fielding drills.

“This is great to see and they have been thorough and professional. So far the camp has been excellent. We also have some members of the West Indies A team here as well as all the players contracted by the WICB so there has been a lot of activity.”

The team is gearing up for the tour of Sri Lanka which runs from November 7 to December 21 and includes three Test matches, five One-Day Internationals and a T20 International.
In addition to the heavy focus on fitness, Gibson said they had also been discussing what was required in order to be successful on the tough tour of the subcontinent.

“I believe the players have received a lot of benefit from what they are doing. We have also been doing a lot of talking about the game and a lot of assessments,” he said. “The players understand what they have to do and they have a clear understanding of the game. I believe know what is required and we have discussed these areas at the camp as well. The team is together and everyone is buying into what we are putting in place and everyone understands the direction we are going.”