Sammy keen for Test debut

Darren Sammy said he was "shattered" to miss West Indies' tour of India earlier this year but his focus is now squarely on a potential Test debut in England. Sammy, the first international cricketer to emerge from St Lucia, believes his experience in English conditions could help him make the most of the two-month tour.

Sammy was named in the squad to visit India in January but sustained an injury shortly before the team departed. He said missing the trip might have hurt his chances of making the World Cup squad but he had moved on since then.

"I was out in the wilderness for a few years after playing my last international game and it was one of the major disappointments of my career to get injured the day before we had to travel to India," Sammy said. "But this is Test cricket and it is where you get a true test of you character and you have to be physically, mentally and skilfully prepared to be successful."

Sammy has spent the past fortnight playing league cricket in Lancashire and believes his knowledge of the conditions will increase his chances of a Test call-up. "I have been playing for Crompton Cricket Club and that has helped me to get acclimatised," he said.

"Since 2003 I have been playing in England annually so I think I am very familiar with the conditions here. So far the pitches have played well because unlike previous years the batsmen have been getting a lot of runs in county cricket with two players scoring double-centuries so far."

Sammy said being part of the Test squad was a great privilege but he felt he had earned his place. "I was not very surprised by my selection because I have been putting in some hard work over the past few years and I have been getting good results," he said. "I have never played Test cricket so it will be a challenge but it is a hurdle I'm prepared to jump over."