Simmons bemoans short Boxing Day tune-up

The West Indies had plenty to work on after being belted by Australia in Hobart, with coach Phil Simmons wishing their tour game went longer than two days.

West Indies coach Phil Simmons was disappointed his request for a longer Boxing Day Test tune-up was not granted.

Australia crushed the tourists in three days in the first Test in Hobart, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

Even if the first Test went the distance, there would have been a break of 11 days before Boxing Day.

"When I saw the amount of days in between I asked that we have at least a four-day game," Simmons said.

The West Indies Cricket Board and Cricket Australia instead settled on the two-day fixture in Geelong that finished on Sunday.

"When the last MOU (memorandum of understanding) came back it ended up a two-day game," Simmons said.

"I guess the details of that would have to come from back home.

"I would love to have had a four-day game where we could bowl properly and play a proper game, like we did up in Brisbane (to start the tour).

"That's what I would have been happy with ... a two-day game is not ideal."

The weather was another challenge for Simmons, as he attempted to create confidence in a squad desperately in need of some.

The temperature hit 44.4C when the West Indies batted on Saturday, Geelong's hottest day in December on record.

Sunday's final session was then washed out entirely.

The Big Bash League, which features some of the Caribbean's finest cricketers, also conspired against the visitors.

Victoria's best players were unavailable on the weekend due to BBL commitments, meaning the state rolled out an an inexperienced XI full of amateurs.

"I would have loved a first team but the Big Bash has just stated so it was always going to be hard," Simmons said.

"You'd always prefer to get better games.

"When people come to us now ... our A team will always play the visiting team and that's the sort of competition I would like when we go outside the West Indies."


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Source: AAP


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