Dinesh Ramdin happy to carry burden of Windies captaincy

Dinesh Ramdin, the replacement captain of West Indies, faces the task of outwitting his Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting with a team of under-rated, under-achieving players.

He has already set about analysing Australia's Ashes defeat for any advantage on offer, and his maturity indicates that he may be a future leader of some substance.

"He's a world-class player, I can't say I'm close to his standards. He has a team that ever since he took up the leadership, he's had a good bunch of guys who are experienced. They just keep winning," he said.

"That's not to say they are unbeatable, they are. Look back at the Ashes. We just have to look at some footage. They have a good team, but we'll try not to play names in the series, but bat and ball," The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him, as saying.

Ramdin has captained the nation in Twenty20s, but a Test against Australia in Brisbane is altogether a tougher task. He says the Test format is as important to his side as it was 30 years ago.

"There is a long legacy behind our cricketing generations. 'We will continue to work hard, take a page out of the Australians' book, the way they go about their cricket - they play it hard, tough, they enjoy it. We just need to do that, I think we're getting there," he said.

Ramdin has no doubts the players are united behind him.

"To get the support of the guys on the field and off the field as well, the way the players come to you and ask for advice, a lot of the senior players in the team look up to me as a player who knows a lot about the game," Ramdin said.

"'So far we've play under Chris, we've enjoyed the success so far. If given the opportunity I would give 100 per cent, and I know the guys are behind me 100 per cent as well. For us to play together as a team, work as a unit and at the end of the day achieve one goal, which is to win."