West Indies

Wicketkeeper Buttler averages 31.46 in the longest format but has failed to get beyond 47 in his last 12 innings, a worrying slump in form that has seen his place in the team come into question, with Ben Foakes waiting in the wings.

The right-hander made scores of 35 and nine during the first Test against West Indies last week, with his second-innings dismissal coming during a collapse that swayed the game in the touring side's favour.

England lost at Southampton by four wickets but the under-pressure Buttler is set to keep his place for the game in Manchester, which begins on Thursday.

Returning skipper Root, who missed the series opener due to the birth of his second child, has seen technical improvements in Buttler's game to suggest a big score is just around the corner.

"I think you look at Jos and the game last week - and a I know we're in a results business and we're judged on performances - but you watch how he batted in that first innings and I thought, technically, it was as well as he's played in a long time," Root told the media on the eve of the second Test.

"His game is in a really good place, it's just a matter of time until we see some of those special innings that we've seen in white-ball cricket and his performances from that transfer across.

"He's someone that is a big part of our group – has been for a long time – and is a great thinker about the game. He's a big senior player in the dressing room across all formats.

"You feel he's not far away from grabbing Test cricket, taking it and running with it. I've seen big strides off the field with his technical game, I suppose you almost want him to find that balance and mindset he has in white-ball cricket and add it to a technique that can definitely thrive in red-ball cricket."

Root was a keen spectator back home as the action unfolded in Southampton, where all-rounder Ben Stokes took charge of the team for the first time.

The Yorkshireman admits it was not easy watching on afar when fully fit, though he saw enough from his players to suggest there are positive signs for the future, despite the result.

"It was challenging, more so because you're fully fit and could be out there, it's just a very strange set of circumstances," Root said.

"Ben as captain did a brilliant job. He had some very difficult decisions to handle and manage, and I think on the ground and throughout the game he managed things very well.

"One thing that I was really pleased with, actually, is the performance for the first two and a half days we were probably behind the game, but we managed to find a way of wrestling ourselves into a position where we could win it.

"In the past, sometimes we've fallen away a bit early, but going into those last two sessions we still had a chance at winning the game.

"In a way it was a small step forwards for us, though of course we couldn't quite get across the line.

"You look at the back-end of our second innings and that really did hurt us, but I think there were a lot of positive things to take from it. You could certainly see that, sat watching from home."

England have confirmed Root will come into the XI in a place of Joe Denly, while James Anderson and Mark Wood are both rested.

Bucknor, whose career behind the stumps lasted for 20-years, officiated in 128 Test matches and 181 One Day Internationals.  In addition, he stood in 5 World Cups.

 With the Jamaica-born official having retired in 2009 and the Umpire Digital Review System (DRS) being trialed in 2008, he never had the advantage of appeals and instant replays but is certain it has made the game better for all involved.

“I am not certain if it affects the confidence of umpires, but I know it has improved umpiring,” Bucknor told the Mason and Guest radio program.

“It has improved umpiring because there was a time when we were saying the batsman was so-called playing down the line, therefore he is not going to be given out leg before, but if the technology is saying the ball is hitting, then you have to give him out.  So, we learn from the technology,” he added.

"The umpires who do not enjoy having technology around, I hope that they have a rethink.  What it does if you make a mistake it can be corrected on the field,” Bucknor said.  “Now thinking about when I was umpiring and I gave a batsman out who was not out, realizing I made a mistake it took a long time to fall asleep that night.  Now you can fall asleep quickly because the correct decision is eventually given.”

Bucknor infamously and incorrectly gave legendary India batsman Sachin Tendulkar out on two occasions.   The first of the mistakes came in Australia (at the Gabba in Brisbane off Jason Gillespie in 2003) where he declared Tendulkar lbw, when the ball was clearly flying over the stumps.  Another decision was a caught behind (at the Eden in Kolkata off Abdul Razzaq in 2005) when he thought the batsman had nicked the ball. 

“It is human to err.  These were mistakes.  I don’t think any umpire wants to do the wrong thing, it lives with him and his future could be jeopardised.  I was unhappy but human beings make mistakes.  Accepting your mistakes and moving on is a part of life.”

The third Test of the #RaiseTheBat Series, which starts at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday will be the last time the two sides compete for the Wisden Trophy, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) have announced.

In its place, the new Richards-Botham Trophy will now be designed ready for when the teams next meet in a Test series.

The title honours Sir Vivian Richards, one of cricket’s greatest batsmen, who scored more than 8,500 runs in a 121-Test career, and Sir Ian Botham, the legendary all-rounder who scored more than 5,000 runs and took 383 wickets in 102 Tests.

Fierce competitors on the pitch, the pair developed a great friendship off it, which still endures, and the new trophy is a fitting way to celebrate the warm relationship between the nations and to honour the gladiatorial spirit of contests past and present.

The Wisden Trophy, first introduced in 1963 to commemorate the hundredth edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, will now be retired and will be displayed at the MCC Museum at Lord’s where it has traditionally been kept.

“This is a huge honour for my good friend Ian and myself. I am delighted to know that the game that I have shown my love for since a little boy is naming such a prestigious award in my recognition of what I managed to achieve as a cricketer. When I had the opportunity to go to England and represent Somerset, one of the first persons I met was Ian Botham, who would later become of one my best friends. We are friends for life,” Sir Vivian said.

“To have this trophy – West Indies vs England – named in honour of our work on the cricket field is great. What I think is also remarkable is that it says a lot about our relationship off the field as well. We were competitors on the field, but we showed we were brothers off the field. I’m proud to have my name on one side of the trophy with him on the other side.”

Sir Ian Botham was in agreement with the Master Blaster’s sentiments.

“Viv was the finest batsman I ever played against. He’s a great friend but we’ve always been competitive, not least when we were on the cricket field, and there was no one else’s wicket I would treasure more,” Botham said.

“Playing the West Indies was always one of the toughest tests in cricket, and it’s an honour for this trophy to bear our names. I hope future series will be just as exciting as the one we’ve all been enjoying this summer.”

Sir Vivian averaged 62.36 against England across his career with eight hundreds. He dominated the 1976 series between the two sides, scoring 829 runs at an average of 118.42 in the series, which West Indies won 3-0. This included 232 in the first Test and 291 in the fifth. He also made what at the time was the fastest Test hundred in the game against England in 1986, taking just 56 balls to reach his century. It is still the equal second fastest of all time.

Facing the best team in the world at the time, Sir Ian took 61 wickets at an average of 35 against the West Indies, with three five-wicket hauls and a best of 8-103 at Lord’s. He also scored four 50s, with a best of 81 in the same game at Lord’s in 1984.

“England and the West Indies have produced many magic cricketing moments over the years, and this series has been no different even though it’s been played in very different circumstances. We remain very grateful for West Indies travelling here to play this series, and it’s fitting that we’ve got such an exciting final test in store as the teams compete for the Wisden Trophy for the final time,” said ECB Chairman Colin Graves.

“The Wisden Trophy was introduced nearly 60 years ago to mark the 100th edition of the Almanack, and we’ve been extremely proud to contest it since then. Both we and Cricket West Indies felt that the time was right to honour two of our greatest modern players. Sir Vivian and Sir Ian were fierce competitors on the pitch but great friends off it, exemplifying the spirit of the contests between our two cricketing nations and providing perfect inspiration for those who compete for the Richards-Botham Trophy in years to come.”

CWI President Ricky Skerritt said both men were deserving of the honour.

“Sir Viv’s phenomenal West Indies track record against England, both as a player and captain, and his longstanding friendship with his former Somerset teammate and England rival, Sir Ian Botham, presented an excellent opportunity to honour two uniquely suited living legends,” Skerritt said.

“Both honorees put their heart into the game, and always gave their all for their teams and countries. There are other West Indian cricket legends whose names could also have been chosen for this honour, but none more deserving than Sir Viv.”

Richardson, a former opening batsman, led the West Indies from 1991-1996 and scored 5,949 runs in 86 Tests and scored 6,248 runs in 224 One Day International (ODI) matches.  One of a handful of West Indies players that have been knighted, Richardson remains involved with the sport as he is now also an ICC match referee.

“The University of the West Indies is a very important institution to us as a Caribbean people and it’s ranked as one of the best universities in the region so for them to see the need to bestow such an honour on me, then I am deeply touched, honoured and I am very grateful,” Richardson told the Good Morning Jojo Radio Show.

“I was surprised to be honest because I never really expected it but when I realised that it was going to happen I was very excited and deeply honoured.”

Bangladesh carried on from their overnight 50-2 to reach 245 all out off 90.5 overs thanks to Captain Shakib Al Hasan who got his second fifty in the match with 63 and wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan who got 64. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy earlier got 42.

Roach, who now has 249 Test wickets, was brilliant for the hosts with 5-53 off 24.5 overs while Alzarri Joseph and Kyle Mayers supported well with 3-55 from 19 overs and 2-30 from 13 overs, respectively.

The hosts, needing 84 to win, got off to a terrible start and were 9-3 after four overs, losing captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Nkrumah Bonner, and Raymon Reifer in quick succession.

Opener John Campbell (28 not out) and vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood (17 not out) then combined to ensure the hosts lost no more wickets, ending the day 49-3 off 15 overs, needing a further 35 runs for a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Khaled Ahmed took all three wickets for Bangladesh.

Joseph struck with his first ball in Test cricket when he removed Steven Smith, then finished with 5 for 94 and also showed his prowess with the bat with scores of 36 and 15.

His rise to Test cricket has been remarkable on the back of just five first-class games, having grown up in the village of Baracara in Guyana, which could only be reached by boat.

He has now shot to global prominence and is being talked about as part of West Indies' future as they look to rebuild their Test cricket, but Joseph already has an ILT20 deal and more such offers are unlikely to be far away.

"The best advice I can give him is to build his own legacy," Roach said.

"Understand what you want from cricket. That's up to him to determine, if it's monetary, or if it's just stats and statistics or whatever. There's going to be a lot of distractions… he's a hot commodity right now so he needs to choose what he really wants and what he thinks is best for his career going forward. So, it's up to him as a young man, but I definitely give him that advice."

Roach, the senior figure in West Indies' attack with 80 caps to his name, is happy to take on a mentor role having had similar players to feed off early in his career.

"I had that when I started. Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards [were] some guys around to help me when I started my career," he said.

"I took knowledge and learning from it. So obviously for me now, it's all about passing on the mantle now to the youngsters. He's got a very good career ahead of him. At this stage, he's willing to learn. We have a lot of conversations. So, I think once he keeps doing that, not just coming from me but anyone who he thinks can help him in his career, he can take a lot of knowledge on board and become a better cricketer."

Roach himself is towards the latter stages of his career but has put no end point on his Test career.

"Day by day," he said with a smile, "let's see how it goes."

He made a big impression on his first tour of Australia in 2009 when he forced Ricky Ponting to retire hurt in Perth but has found the country the toughest place to take wickets with 10 at 77.90 from eight matches.

"As a bowler coming to Australia you are bowling against some of the best batters in the world so there is always a good challenge," he said.

"I love a good challenge. I have lived for that my whole career so for me coming here is just about expressing yourself, enjoying and relishing the moment and giving it a good go. Be confident in yourself and your skills and let's see how the day goes for you."

Roach only briefly dipped his toe into the franchise world of T20 - his last game in the format was in 2018 - although that did include a stint with Brisbane Heat, who will play the BBL final against Sydney Sixers on Wednesday.

The last time Heat won the BBL was in 2012-13, when Roach claimed 3 for 18 against Perth Scorchers at the WACA. "I saw my picture on the wall, so good memories," he said of his return to the Gabba, the home ground of Heat.

Test cricket, where he ranks fifth among West Indies' all-time wicket-takers, has remained his No. 1 priority and Roach firmly believes that is the case among many young players in the Caribbean.

"I love Test cricket," he said.

"Honestly, I love the red-ball format. I've played one-dayers and the T20 format as well but I think my heart was always a part of the red ball. I just wanted to be a part of those mega cricketers back in the days. The Joel Garners, the Malcolm Marshalls, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, I just want to be a part of those names.

"And I think for me, obviously, I didn't grow up much in the franchise era. So I had Test cricket at heart, and it has stuck with me throughout. I just think it is different times now. So for me, it's just about these youngsters, what they want to achieve from it. And they make the right decisions and they go forward [in their] careers.

"The franchises are a big distraction," he added. "But guys still want to relish red-ball cricket. Test cricket is still at the hearts of West Indian cricketers at home. It's just about us to provide support around it. To keep those guys interested in red-ball cricket. Discussions will be had. I'm not part of it. They take Tests very seriously still. They are very proud to be a part of the red-ball team for the West Indies."

On Saturday, the 33-year-old put in another stirring performance against one of his favourite opponents, Bangladesh.  The bowler’s 10^th five-wicket haul, on this occasion figures of 5 for 54, not only left the West Indies on the verge of winning the first Test but represented a huge personal milestone.

His latest tally sees the bowler now tied for 6^th all-time on the list of the regional team’s top wicket-takers, shoulder to shoulder with the revered Holding, and 10 behind Joel Garner for 5^th.  The significance of the moment was not lost on the player, who made his Test debut against the same opponents in 2009.

 “I’m proud.  I’m proud to know how I started, obviously, I came into the team under very difficult conditions, and to build a career and get among the greats is a good feeling,” Roach said.

“I’m one for stats, I love my stats.  I'm always checking once I'm not playing, so it’s always good to be among the greats,” he added.

With more left in the tank, the bowler has targeted the 300 wickets milestone, which would put him 9 behind spinner Lance Gibbs and fifth on the all-time list.

“I’d love 300 Test wickets.  I’m at 249, I have about two to three more years left in me, so that’s the target.”

Resuming on 258-4, England lost a wicket in four consecutive overs to collapse to 280-8, with Ollie Pope falling first and failing to add to his overnight score of 91.

The collapse brought Broad to the middle and the left-hander hit the Windies’ bowlers to all parts of Old Trafford, reaching his half-century in 33 balls — putting him tied for third place in the all-time list of England’s fastest test fifties.

Broad’s 45-ball innings ended when he holed out in the deep off an ambitious swept volley, but by then he had frustrated the West Indies and put England back in charge of a series currently poised at 1-1.

His potentially game-changing ninth-wicket partnership with Dom Bess was worth 76 runs, with Broad hitting nine fours and a six.

Bess was left stranded on 18 after Anderson was the last man out for 11. England added 111 runs in the session.

Earlier, Pope was dropped at slip off Shannon Gabriel before the same paceman got one through the gate his very next over.

Chris Woakes (1) then slashed at a wide ball onto his stumps to give fast bowler Kemar Roach his 200th test wicket.

Jos Buttler, who resumed on 56, was out for 67 when he edged Gabriel to Jason Holder at second slip and the West Indies captain also pouched a catch to remove Jofra Archer (3) off the bowling of Roach.

Roach had team-best figures of 4-72.

The Windies, who won the first test in Southampton before losing the second match in Manchester, are looking to capture a test series in England for the first time since 1988.

Roach earned his 200^th scalp when he bowled Chris Woakes, ending day two of the final Test in the #raisethebat Series against England at Old Trafford with figures of 4-72 and in the process helping the West Indies bowl the hosts out for 369.

Roach was the best of the bowlers with his 25.4 overs going at 2.81. Shannon Gabriel ended with 5-77, Jason Holder, 1-83, and Roston Chase 2-36. Rahkeem Cornwall, in his English debut bowled 27 wicketless overs for 85 runs.

“It’s a great feeling. I’ve worked very hard to get to this stage,” said Roach.

Roach, who was at the peak of his powers in 2014, suffered a car accident a number of injuries on his way to recovery, leaving many to believe his career might have been over.

“I’ve been through a lot cricketing wise with my body and injury and stuff so, today it was very heartwarming to get to this significant milestone,” he said, thinking back to his ordeal.

With the worst of his injury woes behind him, Roach is now looking toward the future and seeing how far up the ladder of great West Indies fastbowlers he can climb.

Roach, with 201 wickets in his 59^th Test, is ninth on the list of all-time highest wicket-takers from the West Indies. He is one wicket behind Andy Roberts and 34 behind Sir Garfield Sobers.

Ahead of those three are Courtney Walsh (519), Curtly Ambrose (405), Malcolm Marshall (376), Lance Gibbs (309), Joel Garner (259), and Michael Holding (249).

Roach is aware of all the names ahead of him and sees these milestones as important.

“I base my career on milestones actually, 100 wickets, 150 wickets, and obviously if you get to those stages it means you’re doing well so I push myself to the limit trying to get to as many milestones as I can in my career. That is a motivating factor for me,” he said.

“That is a motivating factor for me. This 200 was great for me to tick off but let’s see what 250 looks like, let’s see what 300 looks like.”

The West Indies reply to England’s 369 has not gone well, with the visitors struggling at 137-6. Holder, on 24, and Shane Dowrich on 10, are the not-out batsmen.

The West Indies and England are tied 1-1 in their three-Test series with the next three days set to decide who takes home the Wisden Trophy.

Roach, 36, who missed the just-concluded three-match Test series against England due to a knee injury, now has the opportunity to prove his fitness to possibly break back into the Kraigg Brathwaite-led team for the upcoming two-match Test series against the Proteas scheduled to begin on August 7.

The same is true for the others, namely Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Justin Greaves, who fell out of favour for Test team selection following sub-par performances in Australia earlier this year, as the warm-up match will be their shot at redemption.

Following the Test series, West Indies and South Africa will cross swords in a three-match T20 series starting on August 23.

Cricket West Indies (CWI), in making the announcement, said the warm-up match is a crucial opportunity to also engage several talented players that have either demonstrated consistent performances over multiple seasons or have shown impressive emerging talent.

The selection of these players also forms part of CWI’s strategy to evaluate the readiness of potential squad members for the upcoming West Indies home Test Series against South Africa.

According to CWI’s Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, the focus is on assessing their battle readiness and potential contributions to the men's Test team.

“We are excited to see these players in action against a formidable South African side. This fixture is a valuable opportunity to assess their readiness and gauge their potential for the upcoming Test series. Each player selected has shown significant promise, and we are eager to see how they perform on this stage,” Bascombe said.

He added that this match will serve as a significant test for these players, providing a platform to showcase their skills and further their case for inclusion in the senior team.

West Indies Championship XI: Justin Greaves (Captain), Keacy Carty (Vice Captain), Jediah Blades, Joshua Bishop, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Bryan Charles, Amir Jangoo, Anderson Phillip, Nial Smith, Jeremy Solozano, Shamar Springer, Isai Thorne, Kevin Wickham, Kemar Roach

Management: Floyd Reifer (Head coach), Ramesh Subasinge (Assistant coach), Jelani Baptise (Physiotherapist), Shayne Cooper (Strength & Conditioning coach), Keshavar Ramphal (Analyst)

Roach was the undisputed star of the series, with the ball, when the West Indies defeated England 2-1 in the Caribbean last year.  Figures of 5 for 17, 4 for 52, and 4 for 48 routinely found a place on the scorecard for the pace bowler.

So far, in the current England series, Roach has caused a few uncomfortable moments for the England batsman but is yet to secure any kind of breakthrough.  The bowler has nonetheless enjoyed good spells.  In the first innings of the first Test, despite not claiming a wicket, Roach conceded just 41 runs in 19 overs for an economy rate of 2.15.  In the second, he went for 50 off 22 overs, an economy rate of 2.27.  On both occasions, the bowler was second to only Windies captain Jason Holder, in terms of economy rate.

In the second Test so far, Roach has bowled 20 overs with 5 maidens, while conceding 38 runs.  Brathwaite, however, backs the player to make a breakthrough soon.

“I think in the areas he bowled he was just a little bit unlucky (to not get a wicket).  Once he keeps up that pressure, I’m sure he will get wickets tomorrow (Friday),” Brathwaite said.

The Windies front-line bowler was a doubt for the series after sustaining an injury while playing for Surrey in the English County Championship. However, on Wednesday, on the eve of the series, Roach was passed fit and has been added as the 13^th member of the squad.

Roach is the highest-ranked bowler West Indies bowler in the ICC rankings and is West Indies’ leading current wicket-taker in Test matches.

The bowler has typically done well against Bangladesh, claiming a total of 34 wickets in 9 matches.  His career-best figures of 6-48 came against Bangladesh in 2009.  The player will also have fond memories of playing Bangladesh at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, with his best figures at the venue of 5-8 also coming against Bangladesh in 2018.

At the close of the third day of the second Test at the Darren Sammy Stadium, Bangladesh batting a second time are 132-6 at stumps still needing 42 runs to force the West Indies to bat again.

Roach took the first three wickets and ended the day with figures of 3-32. He now has 252 Test wickets which moved him past Michael Holding and into the position of the sixth-highest wicket taker for the West Indies.

Najmul Hossain Shanto offered some resistance to the West Indies attack with a score of 42 before he was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph, who has so far taken 2-31.

The West Indies resumed from their overnight score of 340-5, a lead of 106. They extended the lead to 174 as they were dismissed for 408. Kyle Mayers, 126 not out overnight, was dismissed by Khaled Ahmed, who took 5-106.

Scores so far: Bangladesh 234 and 132-6, West Indies 408.

The hosts were set 168 to win after Pakistan's final five wickets fell for 31 runs on Sunday, with teenage paceman Jayden Seals claiming 5-55 in his second Test outing.

But the Windies stumbled to lunch on 38-3, Shaheen Afridi (4-50) having ripped out skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell and Nkrumah Bonner for single-figure scores.

Roston Chase (22) and Jermaine Blackwood (55) launched a rebuilding job that threatened to turn into a match-winning partnership before Chase edged a full delivery from Faheem Ashraf (2-29) to Imran Butt at second slip.

Blackwood played with typical intent and struck 10 fours but played loosely at Hasan Ali (3-37), with Butt again the beneficiary. Kyle Mayers came and went without scoring and West Indies were staring down the barrel at 114-7 when Hasan bowled Jason Holder for 16.

The momentum looked to be shifting again after tea, only for Afridi to return and have Joshua Da Silva caught behind for 14 – ending a useful stand of 28 with Roach.

If the catch to remove opposite number Da Silva was fairly routine for Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan gloveman excelled himself by chasing Jomel Warrican's swirling hook at Hasan all the way to fine leg.

That made it 151-9 but Roach showed nerves of steel alongside the rookie Seales, who contributed two, to haul his men over the line.

Seales goes back to West Indies roots

They might not produce them in the volume or quality they used to, but nothing excites cricket fans quite like the emergence of a bright new fast bowling talent from the Caribbean. Man of the match Seales' raw pace was too much for Pakistan's lower order to deal with and, at 19 years and 339 days, he became the youngest West Indian to claim a five-wicket haul in Tests – breaking a 71-year-old record set by the great Alf Valentine.

Master combines with apprentice to seal glory

Once upon a time, Roach was the tearaway quick. Now he is charged with teaching Seales everything he knows and the 33-year-old proved a fine foil for the youngster, taking 5-77 in the match. Roach might have presumed their work done and would scarcely have imagined combining with Seales to get the Windies over the line.

Nevertheless, he played with a composure that belied a test average of 11.6 – Roach has never passed 50 in the longest format – and faced 52 deliveries from a high-class Pakistan attack across 92 minutes at the crease. His steer through cover off Hasan for the winning run was the sweetest reward for a temperamentally exceptional display.

The West Indies will play three ODIs on the sub-continent from February 6 to 20, where they will also play three T20 Internationals (T20Is). The ODIs will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on February 6, 9 and 11.

The matches form part of the ICC ODI Super League and the West Indies will have the opportunity to win points to be one of the top seven teams, excluding hosts India, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

Meanwhile, the T20Is will be played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on February 16, 18 and 20, with that squad expected to be announced on Friday.

Roach has played 92 ODIs in which he has taken 124 wickets while Bonner made his ODI debut in Bangladesh a year ago and has so far played three matches. King has so far played four matches in this format.

Lead Selector Desmond Haynes said the squad was selected to foster healthy competition for places in the West Indies squad.

“Kemar Roach is one of our leading fast bowlers and we believe we need bowlers upfront to get early wickets, and Kemar, with an economy rate of five, is certainly good enough to play. Over the last few years, Nkrumah Bonner’s cricket has come on leaps and bounds and we believe he should be given an opportunity to play in the 50-over format,” said the former West Indies opening batsman.

“We want to have competition for places. We want to reach a stage where we have a lot of players fighting for positions. We want to broaden the pool of players we have to choose from. The team we have selected is a very good side and we are looking at this tour as part of the preparations for the World Cup in India in 2023.”

ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Fabian Allen, Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Romario Shepherd, Odean Smith and Hayden Walsh Jr.

Hetmyer, 23, seen as one of the rising stars in West Indies cricket, was among three players who opted out of the tour #RaisetheBat series, largely due to safety concerns. His Guyanese compatriot Keemo Paul and Trinidadian middle-order batsman Darren Bravo, also decided to stay home despite assurances given by both CWI and the ECB that they would be kept safe in a bio-secure environment.

Roberts, who was a member of a fearsome, four-pronged West Indies pace attack from the 1970s into the 1980s, believes the decision not to go was foolhardy.

“They would have played an integral part of the batting,” he said during a recent conversation with Michael Holding on Holding’s YouTube channel. He suggested that the tour to England was an opportunity to improve his batting.

“As much as we don’t like the way Hetmyer has been playing, he is one of the batsmen of the future. But somebody has to get into his head and let him realize that you cannot score runs sitting in the pavilion.”

The Sussex seamer missed out on the drawn matches in Antigua and Barbados and will play no part in Grenada as England chase a first Test win in nine attempts.

England confirmed their squad on Wednesday, a day before the third Test begins, with Craig Overton recovering from illness to replace Matthew Fisher in the only change.

Robinson was unable to prove his fitness in a net session and skipper Joe Root is hopeful his team-mate can soon put his fitness issues behind him.

"Ollie wasn't as good as we would have liked or he was expecting himself," Root said prior to the squad announcement.

"It's just frustrating for him, as it is for me. He's working very hard but there's something that's nagging away at him.

"I'm not sure exactly of the medical prognosis. He's just got to keep on doing what he's doing and trust in time that he's going to get himself back.

"We all know how effective he has been and how good he's been in his short career up to now so the sooner we can get him back the better."

Root is 116 runs short of reaching 10,000 in Test cricket, a tally only Alastair Cook has previously reached among England players.

The 31-year-old hit centuries in the opening two Tests against West Indies but could not help his side to victory, something he is looking to put right in this winner-takes-all clash.

"I really hope we can take another step forward as a team and get across the line because there's been a lot of good stuff," he told reporters.

"We've played the majority of the cricket up to now and it would be a great way to end the tour. The most pleasing thing is we've not had a nightmare session that's cost us a Test.

"We've looked at each individual session and each hour and looked to win each and every one of them."

England are unbeaten in their last three away Test matches against West Indies, having lost each of the three games prior to that run.

Their most recent meeting at St George's was in April 2015, with England claiming a nine-wicket victory.

 Batting first, the Warrior put up 146 for 8 in their 20 overs, but in pursuit, the Patriots, who were anchored by a stunning opening stand of 113 between Lewis and Thomas, only lost two wickets to secure an easy second win.

The Warriors won the toss and elected to bat, but they struggled to get their innings underway in the face of some tidy bowling from the Patriots. Dominic Drakes was the star but there were excellent spells inside the PowerPlay from Sheldon Cottrell and Paul van Meekeren.

It was Cottrell who got the first breakthrough when he had Brandon King caught by Sherfane Rutherford off a leading edge. The Warriors once again pushed Odean Smith up the order as a pinch hitter but he didn’t have the same success as in the first game against the Knight Riders, falling for a seven-ball duck.

  Wickets continued to fall throughout the Warriors innings, and they found themselves 75 for 5 in the 12th over with Drakes finishing with 3 for 26 and Fawad Ahmed claiming 2 for 33.

However, some lusty blows from Nicholas Pooran and a measured innings from Mohammad Hafeez got them to a respectable total. 

In pursuit, Thomas and Lewis were in fine form, and they made the Guyana total look under par as they batted with controlled aggression to put the Patriots in complete control of the chase.

There were few stumbles for the Patriots as Evin Lewis top-scored with 62 from 39 balls, an innings that guided his team to an eight-wicket victory with eight balls to spare.

The West Indies have travelled with two squads that will play three T20 Internationals and two Test matches during the three-week tour.

The contingent that arrived in Auckland on Thursday travelled to Christchurch where they will be in quarantine before they begin preparing for the series against the Black Caps and Estwick believes the players need to seize the moment.

“I think we’ve got to win series now. We win the odd Test match – you can look at all the teams we’ve played in the last two years – we’ve won one Test match, but we haven’t won the series,” Estwick said.

“I think it’s big for us now that we start winning series. If we want to move up, we’ve got to win series. It’s important that we put two or three performances together, not one good performance and we tend to fade away. We’ve got to win series and there’s no doubt about that, and we’ve got to start here in New Zealand by trying to win this series by playing good, positive, hard disciplined cricket.”

Notwithstanding, the coach is aware of how difficult it will be playing against New Zealand on home soil.

“New Zealand is a very, very difficult side playing at home. We’ve got to be up and we’ve got to execute properly. We’ve got to sit down, and we’ve got to plan,” he said.

“We know what it was like last time and we’ve got to make sure we’re ready because nobody goes to New Zealand and wins easily. You’ve got to be prepared to scrap. Sometimes they can be very patient and you’ve got to match that patience as well. We’ve got to leave no stone unturned to make sure we can combat New Zealand.”

Six reserve players have traveled with the Test squad to prepare and ensure replacements are available in case of any injury and, along with other members of the T20I squad, will form an ‘A’ Team to play two four-day matches concurrently with the Test team.

All members of the squads passed first health test in on arrival and officials were very impressed and highly complimentary with the adherence to protocols.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced that it will commence a new recruitment process for the new Men’s Selection Panel in January.

The recruitment will replace Lead Selector Roger Harper and fellow Selector Miles Bascombe, whose contracts will not be renewed when they come to an end on December 31.

An Interim Selection Panel has been established, with Head Coach Phil Simmons at the helm, along with the captains in the respective men’s formats. Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket, will oversee the process.

“We want to thank Roger and Miles for their work and dedicated services to West Indies cricket in the last two years, as members of the Men’s Senior Selection Panel. Selecting West Indies teams for international competition is a very challenging and thankless assignment, and both gentlemen performed their roles with unprecedented transparency and dignity,” said Adams.

Harper said he was thankful for the opportunity to be the lead selector of the selection panel.

“I would like to thank CWI for the opportunity to serve West Indies cricket in the role of Lead Selector and I wish the organization the very best for the future. I would also like to thank all those whose efforts and cooperation helped me to perform my role efficiently. Special thanks to Miles for his professionalism and teamwork. God bless,” he said.

The West Indies Men’s next series is against Ireland at Sabina Park, Jamaica where they will play the three-match CG Insurance One-Day International Series on January 8, 11 and 14, and the one-off T20 International on January 16.