Zimbabwe looking to rookie leg-spinner

Port-of-Spain - Zimbabwe are putting their confidence in rookie leg-spinner Brian Murphy when they face the West Indies for the first Test of a two-month Caribbean tour that begins at Trinidad's Queen Park Oval tomorrow.

'He's performed really well on tracks that haven't turned that much,' captain Andy Flower said of the 23-year-old's performance during two opening first-class matches of Zimbabwe's first visit to the Caribbean.

'He's handled it and coped with the pressure well and I'm pretty sure he'll play,' Flower added. He spoke at the official series launch in Trinidad yesterday.

Murphy, who had played only six first-class matches before this tour, has taken eight wickets in three innings at an average just over 20 runs a wicket in warm-up matches against the West Indies Board and President's XIs.

New West Indies skipper Jimmy Adams is also happy with his team's lead-up to the two-Test series, particularly the recently concluded 10-day camp attended by a 19-member squad in Jamaica.

'It was a very successful exercise,' the 32-year-old Jamaican said.

'The work ethic while we were there was very high and I think it has gone a long way in getting us in the right frame of mind for this series.'

Adams will be robbed of the services of premier batsman Brian Lara, who surprised the team by resigning as captain last month to take a self-imposed exile from the game.

Adams admits the loss of the double world record holder is a big blow, but said it was an opportunity for others.