THE West Indies team for September's ICC Champions Trophy in England will prepare in Bermuda.
Zorol Barthley, West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) cricket operations officer, revealed yesterday that those players in England for the forthcoming Test series would travel to Bermuda following the last Test August 25 where they would be joined by those chosen from the West Indies.
"The squad of 15 will be chosen on August 10," he said. "We're using Bermuda as the base for the equivalent of a camp, keeping the players together and playing a few matches (against local teams)."
They would return to England by September 10 when England play Zimbabwe and New Zealand take on ICC associates qualifier, the United States in the opening matches.
The West Indies is one of 12 teams in the tournament of one-day internationals, the fourth of its type since the West Indies were beaten by South Africa in the final in Bangladesh in 1998.
They have been drawn against Bangladesh, who they meet in Southampton on September 15, and South Africa, their second opponents at the Oval September 18. in one of the four first -round groups.
The top team from each group moves into the semi-finals September 21 and 22 with the final at the Oval September 25.
Barthley explained that the WICB were faced with the prospect of disbanding the team in England that would have meant the players on tour would have been left to their own devices for three weeks. "We wanted to ensure that the players were sharp and ready for the tournament," he said. "We've got the ICC to agree that we can use the money they provide for getting teams to England for the Bermuda trip."