South Africa captain Graeme Smith [Images] says his team will make the best of a difficult situation when they play a weakened West Indies [Images] in the Test series starting later this month.

West Indies will be without captain Brian Lara [Images] and six other leading players for the first Test in Guyana on March 31 because of a contract dispute.

"It is obviously a very difficult situation for all concerned," Smith said in a United Cricket Board media statement on Wednesday before the squad left for the Caribbean.

"I just hope that they can reach a settlement soon. But rest assured that whoever we face on the tour we will be giving 100 per cent at all times, because the West Indies can never be underestimated on their home soil."

The dispute centres around a potential clash between the West Indies' main sponsor Digicel and the players' personal contracts with Cable & Wireless.

Along with Lara, the other players missing are vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan [Images], Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo [Images], Dwayne Smith, Ravi Rampaul and Fidel Edwards.

South Africa lost their first home Test series to England [Images] in 40 years in January before bouncing back to win the one-dayers.

They then achieved an emphatic but expected win in a home series against Zimbabwe earlier this month.

"It's important that we take the momentum gained from the end of the England tour and the Zimbabwe series and use it to build a really cohesive, powerful unit," Smith said.

TOUGH SUMMER

"We have a had a tough summer at home, but have moved forward in many areas.

"It has been good to see new players like AB (de Villiers) and Charl (Langeveldt) make names for themselves as well as those who have returned to the national set up like Monde Zondeki and Ashwell Prince.

"They now have a chance to prove themselves under very different conditions in the Caribbean."

The tour of the West Indies will be South Africa's third.

In 1992, Kepler Wessels' side lost all three one-day internationals and a one-off Test match -- South Africa's first after 22 years of isolation because of Apartheid.

Shaun Pollock [Images] then led South Africa to a 2-1 triumph in the Test series and a 5-2 win in the one-day matches in 2001.

Pollock has remained in Durban to receive treatment for chronic tendinitis in his left ankle.

The all rounder has been ruled out of the first Test, and will join the tour once he has recovered.

South Africa Test squad:

Graeme Smith (captain) Nicky Boje, Mark Boucher [Images], AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs [Images], Andrew Hall [Images], Jacques Kallis [Images], Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel [Images], Makhaya Ntini [Images], Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki.