Oram ready to face West Indies

New Zealand's Jacob Oram has declared himself available for the first Test against the West Indies next week.
Oram was forced home early from the tour of Bangladesh with a back injury and missed the 2-0 series loss to Australia.
Then while on the comeback trail with Central Districts in a four-day State Championship match against Northern Districts last week he suffered a hairline fracture to his left index finger attempting a catch.
It did not, however, prevent him from bowling 36 overs in a game which Central won by eight wickets.
Oram will line-up for the Stags again on Friday in another four-day game against Otago and if he comes through that unscathed will come into the reckoning for next week's opening Test in Dunedin.
"As far as I'm aware the communication with the selectors and the medical staff is that as of now I am fit for selection and available for selection," Oram told Radio Sport.
"I came back from a back injury against Northern Districts and bowled a heap of overs so the back got cleared. I have just got to make sure the finger can hold up now after getting a little break early on in that game."
It will be a huge fillip for new coach Andy Moles should the 30-year-old all-rounder return after the Black Caps batting collapse in Adelaide which saw critics round on outgoing coach John Bracewell.
Oram has, however, leapt to the defence of his former boss, who has come under fire, in particular from former captain Martin Crowe and ex-Black Caps batsman Nathan Astle, for his methods and the use of a consultancy firm Leading Teams during his time in charge.
"If you ask nearly every player who is in the current team and certain players who have recently left the team you will hear the same answer, they have really enjoyed John Bracewell as a coach," Oram said.
"From my point of view he was probably the best coach I have played under. When I say that people raise their eyebrows and say how can that be the case?
"But there are just certain points about him that struck a chord with me and I know it's the same for a lot of other players in the side."
Crowe has been fiercely critical of Leading Teams influence in the Black Caps dressing room, but Oram is an advocate of the peer assessment and review process.
"I'm all for it. I dont know how he (Crowe) knows how it works with our side. He's not been in our environment for years and years, the same thing with Nathan Astle," Oram added.
Crowe said earlier in the week players were spending 30-40 minutes filling in forms and assessing and reviewing each others performances at the end of each day's play but Oram declared that was way off the mark.
"Before they make assumptions and criticisms they should get their facts right because we are not sitting down and filling out forms every day for 30 to 40 minutes criticising and judging. It just doesn't happen," he said.
"It's five to 10 minutes after a day's play once everyone has done media and recovery sessions. You are in and out."
Oram also believes it is time for the players to step up and take charge of their own performances, especially in the Test arena after disappointments against England and below-par performances against Bangladesh and Australia.
"It's just not enough, we are better than that and guys have shown that in fits and starts," he said.
"But it's about time we got more consistent and instead of one guy sticking his hand up there's three or four guys at a time. Something has got to change.
"I dont think it's technical I think its got to be something between the ears, confidence, that sort of stuff and we have got to address it."
The opening Test against the West Indies starts on December 11 and is followed by another Test in Napier plus two Twenty20 internationals and five one-day matches.