Dramas no problem for Windies, Dyson

The West Indies haven't been short on possible distractions heading in to the first Test against Australia.

First, three of their top players were excused from training camp this week to continue playing in the Indian Premier League.

Then, batsman Marlon Samuels was banned for two years because of dealings with an Indian bookmaker.

And just last Friday, skipper Chris Gayle was ruled out of the opening clash starting Thursday through injury.

For a team ranked a lowly eighth bidding to challenge the world champions, it would seem anything but the ideal preparation.

But Windies coach and former Australian Test batsman John Dyson insists none of the dramas have wavered his team's focus as they head to Jamaica on Monday following a week-long camp in Antigua.

"We knew up front that Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo wouldn't be available for the camp, so we planned the camp with that in mind and it's gone very well," said Dyson.

"With regards to Chris, we've know about his groin injury for a number of weeks now, we thought all along that the chances of him playing were pretty remote, so if it had come about that he was able to play that would be fantastic, but it's been our thinking all along that he won't." The players, meanwhile, had been disappointed to learn of Samuels' two-year ban, Dyson said, but had not been allowed to dwell on the issue.

"We've kept the players busy in camp this week," said Dyson, who spoke to Samuels shortly after the verdict was handed down following his disciplinary committee hearing last week.

"We've got a job at hand, so we've just got to get on with it. and that's what we did in the camp, we kept them busy, so that they had things to occupy their minds, and put stresses on their body and we were quite pleased with the way things have gone.

"They're disappointed for Marlon, because he's one of their mates and he's been playing some good cricket over the last six months.

"But it hasn't affected the camp at all.

"We had a meeting with the players to discuss the findings and the result of the hearing ... but we now know we haven't got him for the series and we're unhappy about that, but we've just got to move forward."

Stand-in skipper Sarwan, Chanderpaul, and Bravo will join the rest of the 14-member squad in Kingston on Monday after completing their commitments in the IPL.

Gayle, meanwhile, remains in doubt for the second Test starting in Antigua on May 30, with Dyson hopeful the captain would return to full fitness in time.