Ambrose, who joined the coaching staff in May, is part of a star-studded off-field team that also features Richie Richardson (team manager), Clive Lloyd (chairman of selectors) and Courtney Walsh (selector). Former greats Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Michael Holding and Ian Bishop will also provide their expertise when their commentary schedule allows.

It is all part of an initiative to mix the Windies' heroes of yesteryear with today's players, who are battling to restore the region's cricket pride.

The spirit of Malcolm Marshall was with the Windies' World Cup squad this week when they used Easts Cricket Club's home at Waverley Oval as their training base in Sydney. Marshall, who died of cancer aged 41 in 1999, remains a much loved figure in the Caribbean and deeply admired by the current squad, many of whom paid their respects by touching a picture featuring the great bowler in the Dolphins' club rooms. Marshall was a member of Easts' 1991-92 first-grade premiership side.

Gayle force bomb

Readers of this column will be aware Easts Cricket Club conducted a letter drop warning residents near Waverley Park to move their cars out of danger. And it turns out for good reason. Chris Gayle launched a massive bomb that landed in a nearby service station. Miraculously, no car was damaged, The Tonk has been told. Less fortunate was a patron at a coffee shop adjoining the club, who was left distressed after narrowly avoiding being hit by a huge six from Windies all-rounder Andre Russell.

Hussey joins enemy

Michael Hussey has linked with one of Australia's most highly rated rivals for the World Cup, joining South Africa as a consultant. "We've had some discussions with Mike Hussey about him joining us on a consultancy process," Proteas coach Russell Domingo said. "He's a middle-order batter of immense experience and knows conditions very well in Australia. He'll play a very low-key role in the background."

Failure to pad up

They whinged about the state of the practice nets and the food at the Gabba earlier in the summer and India's demands have continued on their long tour here. At the WACA ahead of their tri-series match with England security staff were asked by the tourists to assemble padded seats for players to sit on at the training nets, rather than the regular white plastic ones that other teams usually use. It's understood they were not accommodated.

Marsh takes a dive

We all know James Faulkner can club the ball like few else and Australia's national selector Rod Marsh got first-hand evidence in the last week. The legendary former Test keeper had to show some of the agility of his playing days to dive and avoid a Faulkner thunderbolt that came hurtling out of the nets while the Australians were training at Perth's Murdoch University. Just as well it was Faulkner, not Michael Clarke who hit the ball.

KP versus Agnew

It would be worth being a fly on the wall when Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Agnew come face to face at the World Cup after the exiled England batsman agreed to join the BBC's commentary team from the quarter-finals onwards. Agnew and KP have history. The commentator shut down his Twitter account last October after he wound up in a stoush with Pietersen's wife, the singer Jessica Taylor, over the release of KP's autobiography.

Museum piece

India is a cricket mad country but cricket museums are rare. However, one cricket tragic, Rohan Pate, has set up a museum called Blades of Glory, a 4000-square-foot gallery in Pune displaying some rare cricket memorabilia. Headlining the collection is a room dedicated to Sachin Tendulkar, which features 100 miniature bats – one for each international century. The gallery also displays signed memorabilia from five men who have made Test triple tons — Virender Sehwag, Michael Clarke, Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and Chris Gayle.