GROS ISLET, St Lucia – Head coach Phil Simmons has cautioned West Indies not to take South Africa lightly in the upcoming two-Test series, and believes his side will need to step up a gear from recent performances if they are to break their long-running winless streak against the tourists.

West Indies have made a strong start to the new year, drubbing Bangladesh 2-0 away last February before playing competitively to draw both Tests against Sri Lanka when the Asian side toured the Caribbean a month later.

The performances propelled West Indies to sixth in the International Cricket Council rankings – their highest ranking in nearly a decade and one notch higher than South Africa.

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