BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

West Indies head coach David Williams has saluted the rookies in the regional squad and said their performance Down Under was a positive sign for the future.

Speaking on the team's return from Australia on Tuesday, the former West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman said the tour had been an encouraging one, despite going down 0-2 in the three-Test series.

"I think it went very well when you consider the junior guys on the team," said Williams, after the team arrived at the Grantley Adams International Airport just after 4 p.m.

"Maybe we expected some of the senior guys to do a little bit better but when you consider the guys like Adrian Barath, Kemar Roach, Travis Dowlin as well as Narsingh Deonarine ... also Ravi Rampaul, the way they stuck to their task, the way they went about their job, it was really fantastic to see. So hats off to these guys (because) they really performed out there."

Century

The 19-year-old Barath became the youngest West Indies player to score a Test century when he slammed a stroke-filled 104 in the first Test in Brisbane, where the tourists crashed to a humiliating innings and 65-run defeat inside three days.

Dowlin, meanwhile, scored two half-centuries in four innings while speedster Roach was the revelation of the series, impressing with his pace and control as he troubled all of the Australian batsmen.

In his only Test, Deonarine carved out a fighting 82 in the second innings in Perth to give the Windies hope of winning the third and final encounter, a game they ultimately lost by 35 runs.

Williams said the performance of these players was testament of the talent pool in the Caribbean was not dwindling.

Improving

"The saying is that the barrel is empty but I don't think that. That was proven in Australia when we had these young players coming to the forefront and giving people something to talk about," said Williams, who was a member of the last West Indies team to win a series against Australia Down Under, in 1993.

"It's all about exposure and if you can keep exposing our young players to that level of cricket sooner or later the guys will get better and better as time goes by. It's all about being prepared, being exposed and it's really good to see the guys giving an account of themselves."

Following their innings debacle at the Gabba, West Indies rebounded with an impressive showing in the second Test in Adelaide, putting Australia on the ropes before they escaped with a draw.

The West Indies team arrived without their captain Chris Gayle and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who remained in Australia for the Twenty20 Big Bash tournament.