Historic fort gives Australia strength

Australia have used an 18th-century St Vincent fort as the stage for a crucial pre-tournament team meeting. Before heading to the opening ceremony in Jamaica, the Australians spoke about togetherness and how it would be important during their campaign for a third consecutive trophy.

"We really used the fort, and what a fort is," Ponting said in the Herald Sun. "The fort is there to keep people in inside, but it's also to keep people outside.

"We had a good discussion about that, things we want kept out and things we want kept in among the group. Every player sat down and gave a couple of examples of both."

While the chat at Fort Charlotte was a success, the players were not happy at being unable to practice in the nets over the weekend due to travel and the opening ceremony. On Monday Australia arrived in St Kitts, which is their base for the next two weeks, and they will have only one training session before the opening game against Scotland on Wednesday.

"You would like to have a bit more time in the country where you are playing your first game before your first game," Ponting said. "But that's not the way it is. It's not the way it is in professional cricket these days anyway."