Castries (St. Lucia), Jan 17: Ramnaresh Sarwan is relieved to be back in the West Indies team for the limited-overs cricket tour of Australia at the end of the month.
Sarwan was named in a 15-man squad which also included a recall for left-handed batsman Narsingh Deonarine, who last played for West Indies in June 2010.
Sarwan, whose 173 one-day international matches trail only Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle in the squad, last wore the maroon jersey in June 2011.
Since then he's revealed he won $161,000 in damages from the West Indies Cricket Board for casting doubts on his fitness when his central contract wasn't renewed in 2010.
"I'm happy to be back in the team," he said on Wednesday. "Obviously I've been out for a while, but it feels really good to be back representing the West Indies. I am really looking forward to this tour and I'm confident things will go well for us in Australia."
Sarwan averages 44 in ODIs, but 47 in Australia.
"As a team we like the ball when it comes onto the bat so we should enjoy the conditions in Australia," he said.
"I have played there a few times and we have other experienced members of the team who have played there as well. The team has been playing some good cricket recently so I will just fit in. I am an experienced player at the international level and will look to play my part."
The team arrives in Australia on Jan. 26, plays a warm-up one-dayer three days later in Canberra, then five one-dayers and a Twenty20 from Feb. 1-13.
West Indies: Darren Sammy (captain), Dwayne Bravo, Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Narsingh Deonarine, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Thomas.
