Baugh to captain in tour match

Carlton Baugh, the West Indies wicketkeeper, will lead the WICB President's XI side against Australia in a three-day match starting on Monday, April 2. The 12-member squad includes six players who have played Test cricket.

Fidel Edwards, who is back in the West Indies after playing Twenty20 cricket in South Africa, has been included in the team. Edwards spearheaded the pace attack with Ravi Rampaul in West Indies' last Test series in India. Kieran Powell is another player who played in the Tests in India and gets a chance to play the Australians before the Test series. A surprise inclusion to the squad is opening batsman Devon Smith, who has had a string of low scores in the Regional Four-Day Competition. Smith lost his central contract last year.

Spinners have enjoyed considerable success in the West Indies this season and offspinner Ryan Austin, who is joint-top of the wicket-takers' list in this season's four-day competition, gets a chance to impress the selectors. Sunil Narine consistently troubled the Australians in the limited-over matches. However, Narine, who doesn't have a central contract, is yet to confirm his availability for the Test series.

The match will be played at 3Ws Oval in Bridgetown and is the only tour game before the start of the three match Test series, which starts on April 7 at the Kensington Oval.

WICB President's XI squad: Carlton Baugh (captain), Ryan Austin, Nkrumah Bonner, Johnson Charles, Kyle Corbin, Fidel Edwards, Jason Holder, Delorn Johnson, Nelon Pascal, Kieran Powell, Devon Smith, Devon Thomas