Windies leave for South Africa battle

For the first time since the ill-fated tour of India last month, a West Indies squad left the Caribbean for an international assignment, when the Test team headed off to South Africa yesterday.

Groups of players departed from St Lucia, Barbados and Jamaica yesterday evening and will assemble in London today, before flying on to Johannesburg at 9 p.m.

West Indies are scheduled to arrive in South Africa's biggest city tomorrow morning.

Left-arm seamer Sheldon Cottrell will join the squad next week following the conclusion of the third round of matches in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Professional Cricket League. He was asked by selectors to stay behind and represent Jamaica Franchise in order to prove his match readiness.