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SYDNEY: Stand-in Australian captain Shane Watson vowed on Friday to lead from the front with his team battling fatigue after a gruelling summer, as they set off for a tour of the West Indies.
The one-day squad left Sydney for the Caribbean a little more than 12 hours after winning the tri-series title against Sri Lanka in Adelaide.
The players were woken before daybreak to catch flights to Sydney and then on to the West Indies with a five-match one-day series, beginning on March 16, crammed over 10 days.
Some of the team will then back up for two Twenty20 matches and three Tests.
Watson said his injury-hit season made him fresher than those involved in a heavy eight-month schedule which has included tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa and a full domestic programme against New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka.
“From my perspective, I'm very fresh after missing the majority of the summer so I'm really excited about being able to go and continue to play a lot more cricket,” he said at Sydney airport.
Watson led Australia to victory in the deciding third final against Sri Lanka on Thursday in the absence of the injured Michael Clarke.
Clarke's hamstring strain has already ruled him out of the opening phase of matches in the West Indies, although he is confident of being ready for the Tests.
“There's no doubt there's some guys that have played the whole summer who are going to be a little bit tired,” said Watson.
“But in the end, that's part and parcel of playing international cricket.
“You are playing just about all year round, and you've got to find ways to be able to freshen up whenever you possibly can and to be able to keep doing everything you can to stay as fresh as you can to be able to perform.”
