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JOHANNESBURG. – While the West Indies come into the three-Test cricket series against hosts South Africa amid player wage disputes and a string of poor performances, Proteas captain Hashim Amla says they will not underestimate the tourists.

“There’s definitely no need to be complacent against the West Indies,” Amla said in Johannesburg yesterday.

“They are a team that has a lot of explosive power, they play colourful, exciting cricket.”

The West Indies players pulled out of the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) against hosts India in October over a pay dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The remaining ODI, one T20 International (T20I) and the three-test series were all cancelled.

The first match of their tour begins on December 17 in Centurion, and the top-ranked Proteas will set out to dominate from the start.

Meanwhile, the eighth-ranked West Indies come into the series with six losses from their last 10 tests, but Amla insisted they would provide a good contest for the Proteas. “There’s no reason for us to hold them in any lighter esteem,” he said.

“We’ve got a good squad and the strength of our team is concentrating on what we do well.”

The Proteas, however, come off a 4-1 ODI series loss away against Australia last month, but their 50-over struggles will have been forgotten when it comes to donning the whites, according to Amla. – Supersport.com