SYDNEY, March 30: Steve Waugh has cautioned his celebrating World Cup champions to beware of a resurgent West Indies on the eve of the Australian cricket team’s departure to the Caribbean.

Waugh and senior opening batsman Justin Langer are the only members of the touring side not to play a role in Australia’s unbeaten run in the World Cup and the 37-year-old skipper is wary of what his team may encounter in the West Indies over the next two months.

The four-Test series and seven One-day Internationals will challenge the stamina and mental strength of the players, with many already on the road for eight months during one of the longest campaigns in Australian cricket history.

Australia crushed the West Indies 5-0 when they last toured here in 2000-01 in a disappointingly one-sided series, but Waugh will be gauging his team’s prospects from the last trip to the Caribbean in 1999.

Australia drew the last series there 2-2 in Waugh’s first series as Test captain.

Brian Lara was outstanding in that series and averages almost 50 against Australia making him a danger man for the Australian bowlers.

“He’ll certainly lift for an Australian series, he always does,” Waugh said on Sunday.

“He was phenomenal last time we were there and, knowing him, he will want to play well against the best side in the world so he’ll definitely fire up.”

Waugh rates the West Indian batting highly and apart from Lara has pinpointed Marlon Samuels and Ramnaresh Sarwan as important wickets to capture.

“They’re one of the few sides in world cricket which are on the up,” Waugh said.

“Their batting looks very strong and there’s some very good young players — Sarwan, Samuels, Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, then you’ve got Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Lara, Carl Hooper and Ridley Jacobs there so it’s an excellent batting side.

“This Jermaine Lawson looks like a good bowling prospect and then you’ve got Merv Dillon and we’ve come across a few other blokes.

“They’re going to be a lot tougher than people give them credit for and we certainly won’t be underestimating them.

“They went through a tough phase for a few years there and they’ve rebounded fairly well and they seem to be more together.

“Chairman of selectors Viv Richards seems to have quite a bit of say in West Indies cricket, which is good for them, and world cricket needs them to come back.”

Whether the Windies can defy the odds and upset Australia in four Tests probably hinges on how Waugh’s team copes with its gruelling schedule.

“Realistically the World Cup players haven’t had a lot of cricket so I don’t think tiredness will be a factor,” Waugh said. “It’s more the homesickness factor and being away from Australia. That’s the toughest thing to overcome.”

Batsman Damien Martyn will miss the start of the tour after fracturing his right index finger while fielding during the World Cup tournament in southern Africa.—AFP