Tino Best Has Champions Trophy in His Sights

Tino Best playing County Cricket for Yorkshire - Photo by Harrias

Tino Best has told reporters at a West Indies training camp in Barbados that his fitness is 'about 80 percent and loading' heading into the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy next month in England and Wales.

The mercurial fast bowler, who is enjoying one of his longest and best spells in the regional side, said: 'I don't want to go too hard in the camp and when the tournament come I'm a little tired. I'm managing that well, so I wanna hit the tournament at a hundred percent, bowling rapid and doing well for the West Indies.'

Best resumed his test career last year when West Indies took on England at Edgbaston and nearly became the first number 11 batsman in international cricket to score a century, but fell five runs short of the milestone.

His most outstanding bowling performances came later in the year against Bangladesh. Bowling with a hamstring injury and on a relatively slow pitch, the Barbadian took six wickets for 40 runs to help the West Indies to a two-nil victory. In the previous match he had picked up five for 24 in the second innings.

Indifferent performances and injuries have plagued Best at the start of 2013, but the Champions Trophy could be the resuscitation his career needs at this time.

He is also cautiously optimistic about the chances of the West Indies in the competition. He said: 'I think that once we play as a collective unit, as we did in Sri Lanka (West Indies won the ICC Twenty20 competition in Sri Lanka) I think that we will do well.

'Our chances are as good as anybody else.  I think that we have some amazing talent and everyone can see daily on TV with the guys performing in the IPL.'

Best will first have to battle with the fit-again Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach and Jason Holder for his place in the team, but with his pace and exuberance the other bowlers can not be complacent. 

The West Indies play their first match against Pakistan at the KIA Oval on Friday, June 7.