THE West Indies have switched today's final practice prior to the final Test, starting at Supersport Park in Centurion tomorrow, to a ground 25 minutes away.
Manager Ricky Skerritt explained yesterday the move was to avoid the heat of an afternoon session after a failure to gain any concessions from the South African team management over practice times.
"It is standard operating procedure for the home team to have preference on the time of their practice at the ground," he said.
"Almost invariably, they choose the morning as it's cooler but, in the past, we've generally been able to work out a compromise to get away from the afternoon when it's hottest," he added.
He noted that the morning session is from 10 o'clock to half past noon with the facilities available to the visiting team after that. On previous tours, he had been able to get the West Indies' session half an hour and even an hour earlier. Not this time.
"Their management has not budged," he said. "It seems as if it's a battle to them. So we've moved our practice to Technico Oval, just outside Pretoria, from 10 o'clock so we can avoid the afternoon heat."
Skerritt said he was concerned since the South Africans had been given "every facility" when they toured the West Indies in 2001.