GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan believes he has received "the best and most timely gift" he could at this time.

Sarwan has revealed that his injured right ankle has clearly responded well to treatment and he is now looking to intensify his training ahead of the upcoming Carib Beer Series and Stanford Twenty20 Cup.

"After my recent frustrations at being injured and missing the ongoing West Indies tour to Zimbabwe and now South Africa, I'm slowly but surely getting back into the mix," said Sarwan in his latest Digicel Diary submission.

"For the second straight week, I've been able to bat and run comfortably, which is a great sign, with just weeks to go before the regional first-class series begins.

"I've had four training sessions with the Guyana squad and will continue to do so until December 23 when we take a short break for Christmas before resuming on December 28."

Fickle weather

Sarwan noted the only challenge he has encountered in getting back to his best was the fickle Guyana weather.

"Given more heavy rains over recent days, our batting practice has been limited to the indoor concrete strip at the national gymnasium," he said. "I'm thrilled with the progress in my batting. During my knocks, my feet have been moving increasingly better and my mind is more at ease with each workout.

"I've also done some sprinting to further test my ankle and there was no problem. Now, I think it's simply a matter of regaining match fitness and getting as much net practice as possible."

Sarwan injured his ankle during the KFC Cup in October, and missed the Final Four weekend in Barbados.