White-ball star makes shock return to West Indies Test squad
West Indies coach Daren Sammy is looking forward to the series and is hoping his side can start the new World Test Championship cycle in good style.
'I am truly looking forward to this series because we want to start off strongly and make our home turf a fortress during this cycle, while having our passionate and proud fans behind us," Sammy said.
"The matches will be challenging but I believe in this core of players, and they are eager to wear the maroon and make our fans happy.
West Indies squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales
Test schedule: First Test: 25-29 June, Barbados Second Test: 3-7 July, Grenada
Third Test: 12-16 July, Jamaica
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'The (batters) that they're talking about the last couple of weeks in particular, have been (Sam) Konstas and (Usman) Khawaja, and then there was some talk about Cameron Green, if he was a long term No.3 three or not,' Ponting began, in conversation with Sanjana Ganesan in the latest edition of The ICC Review . '(Green's) second innings in the West Indies (in the last Test) might have just put some of that to bed. As tough as those conditions were to bat for as long as he did in trying conditions he might have silenced a few of those critics. 'I think with where they're at, I think the Ashes line-up is going to be like it is right now. I think that's what they're going to be starting with, and you keep your fingers crossed and hope that those guys can get the job done at the start.' 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'I read some really interesting quotes or a story written by (Australian journalist) Robert Craddock about Sam Konstas, how the Australians sort of tried to protect him from what they thought was going to be a really difficult tour of Sri Lanka. 'They left him out there hoping to bring him in in the Caribbean where things might have been a little bit easier. Well, it's been the opposite. It's been the exact opposite of that. 'As it turned out, the attack and the wickets in Sri Lanka were good batting wickets and a really poor attack. And the wickets that we've got in the Caribbean have been hard for everybody to bat on. I look at that last result where the West Indies have been bowled out for 27. 'That's just not down to high quality bowling. That's down to the surface and the ball and all sorts of things.' In Konstas' bid to build his game, Ponting has noticed technical corrections, which could lead to long-term benefits, albeit sacrificing short-term success. 'Sam's always going to have, like every batter that is finding their way at international level, people sit back and try and pick holes in your technique when you're trying to find your own way at international level. 'Now he's always been someone that's been talked about potentially having an issue with (the ball) coming back in, particularly on the front foot, and we saw in the Caribbean a couple of instances there of lbws and chop-ons but we also saw the other side of it where when he tries to correct that and probably stay a little bit more leg-side of the ball. That's when the outside edge of the bat comes into play and he nicked a couple as well like he did in the second innings of that first Test match. 'I'm not going to make any really harsh judgment calls on Sam yet because it was hard work for every batter in that series, there's no doubt about it. 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