Windies welcome back Simmons

They have welcomed back their suspended coach with open arms but the West Indies aren't sweating on doing the same for ex-skipper Chris Gayle any time soon.

Windies team manager Richie Richardson has toasted Phil Simmons' return and says the drama surrounding their reinstated mentor is finally behind them ahead of the first Test against Australia in Hobart.

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Simmons is back at the helm for the Australian tour which starts with a four-day clash against a Cricket Australia XI at Brisbane's Allan Border Field on Wednesday after issuing an apology to the Windies board.

He was suspended in September after expressing his unhappiness with the make-up of the one-day squad selected for last month's Sri Lanka tour.

Simmons alleged interference from the Windies board in the squad's selection after his favoured allrounders Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were overlooked for the Sri Lankan one-day series. 

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The Windies board is still investigating Simmons' allegations despite giving him a reprieve.

Ex-Windies skipper Richardson said it was "very important" that Simmons was back with the reins in Australia.

"It wasn't easy for the team," he said of the ban on Simmons, who oversaw a 1-1 draw with England in his first Test series in charge in April.

"You get a coach and start planning and working together and suddenly he's not there.

"But we are glad that he is back - that is behind us now.

"We are just focusing on getting ourselves ready for taking on Australia."

The once mighty Windies have not recorded an overseas series win against any nation except for minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in 20 years, their last victim, New Zealand in 1995.

That trend does not look like ending in the three-Test series in Australia starting at Bellerive Oval on December 10.

The Windies boast an inexperienced side with the likes of Gayle, Bravo and Darren Sammy featuring in the KFC Big Bash League this summer rather than the Test series. 

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Gayle - who has also been critical of Windies team selections in the past - last played a Test in September 2014.

The big-hitting opener pulled out of April's Test series with England citing back problems but has shown no signs of slowing down on the T20 circuit worldwide this year.

Asked if they wanted the likes of Gayle back to help their rookie squad's development, Richardson said: "Players come and players go.

"Selectors make an investment into young players and think this is the way to go.

"We are hoping they can come through as quickly as possible.

"You have to respect what they (selectors) do, they have a plan in place and we have to support them.

"Chris Gayle or whoever can't be there forever."