The former England captain has gradually returned to the public eye following a car crash while filming a stunt for BBC programme Top Gear 12 months ago, which left him with facial and rib injuries.
Coaxed by close friend and director of England men’s cricket Rob Key, Flintoff first linked up with the national side in an unpaid role for ODI series against New Zealand and Ireland before the World Cup.
Flintoff, whose performances with bat and ball in England’s 2005 Ashes triumph earned him cult hero status, has since been confirmed as head coach of Northern Superchargers men’s side in The Hundred.
He is not part of the England set-up for their ODI series against the Windies but it is understood he will fly out to Barbados later this week ahead of five T20s, the first of which is next Tuesday.
The 46-year-old, who will be paid for being a team mentor, has most recently been in Abu Dhabi for an England Lions winter training camp.
Reece Topley has also had a circuitous route to the West Indies, having convalesced from his latest injury blow with a trip to Los Angeles – where the people he encountered thought cricket involved horses or was the real-life version of Quidditch.
The introduction of Major League Cricket this year and the sport being included in the programme for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 represent big strides in the battle to crack the United States market.
But Topley discovered cricket still has some way to go to capture the American public’s imagination after a Stateside trip to recover from a broken finger which brought an early end to his World Cup.
“The amount of times I had to explain cricket to people – it ranged from people asking me ‘is it the sport with horses?’ Or even asking me if it was the sport that was in Harry Potter,” Topley said.
“It’s got a lot of things that Americans would love about cricket; all of their sports are centred around stats and cricket’s got a million stats.
“I feel like there should be that natural affiliation or selling point. I don’t know if it’s happened just yet but hopefully it’s on the horizon.”
Like Flintoff, Topley is not part of England’s ODI squad but travelled to Antigua early to train ahead of a planned comeback in the first T20, having started bowling again recently.
Having an intrepid outlook on life helps to explain his resilience from constant setbacks, from multiple stress fractures in his back to an ankle issue caused by stepping on a boundary sponge days before England’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in Australia and his latest injury in India.
“I don’t think anything is going to be achieved from sitting around and droning on about things or feeling sorry for yourself or looking for external validation,” the 29-year-old left-arm fast bowler said.
“It’s more a case of how do you move forward? The best step is always to have a level head, a drive to want to develop yourself because it is a short career in terms of your life and injuries may happen.
“Wrap my head around why did it happen at the last World Cup or the T20 one before that, but again it’s just not going to get anyone anywhere. It’s just best to just get your head down and work towards it.
“I’m happy doing that when I’m around cricket but then as soon as I’m off duty, it goes right to the back of my head again.
“I don’t think I’m all engulfed in cricket. I do have a viewpoint that I’m still in my 20s and this only comes around once. It’s important to experience certain things whenever you can.”
After blasting a 96-ball 130 in a losing cause against the host in West Indies’ opening fixture, Andrew again displayed confidence and poise in his unbeaten 64 off 60 balls, which ensured West Indies successfully chased down Scotland’s 205.
Andrew’s knock includes eight boundaries, as he starred in an unbroken 95-run sixth-wicket stand with Nathan Edward, who capitalised on a promotion up the order, with a patient 27 off 55.
Scores: Scotland 205-9 (50 overs); West Indies 206-5 (35.1 overs)
The two came together with the regional side in a spot of bother at 111-5. This, as Adrian Weir (seven), Captain Stephan Pascal (26), Joshua Dorne (11), Jordan Johnson (24) and Mavendra Dindyal (29), all again failed to make a lasting impression.
Fortunately, Edwards patiently occupied one end, and that allowed Andrew to play with some degree of freedom against the Scottish seamers.
“It was a great knock, and I must say thanks everyone to come out and support us. They (Scottish seamers) are quick, but I like the challenge, so it was just all about learning, improving and ticking the boxes that the coaches have for us,” Andrew said in a post-game television interview.
Earlier, Pascal’s decision to insert Scotland proved right. Apart from Jamie Dunk, who made an 87-ball 57, as well as Adi Hedge (32) and Alec Price (31), the opponents offered very little resistance with the bat, as they found Isai Thorne, in particular, too hot to handle.
Thorne, a right-arm medium fast, bagged a career-best 4-46 from nine overs, with Nathan Sealy 2-38 from then, being the next best figures.
The win, which was also West Indies’ fourth over Scotland at this level, saw them to second in Group B on two points, behind England (four points).
Having won the toss and chosen to bat, Root was at the crease early on after Zak Crawley was dismissed for a duck, but was not flustered as he set about giving his team a solid foundation on a flat pitch.
The visitors ended the day on 244-3 with Dan Lawrence contributing an excellent 91, as West Indies struggled to get anything out of the pitch, though things could have been different but for a dropped catch.
England handed debuts to bowlers Saqib Mahmood and Matthew Fisher in place of Mark Wood and Craig Overton, and got off to a shocking start as Crawley was out without scoring after he failed to leave a Jayden Seales delivery, nicking it through to Joshua Da Silva.
Root and Alex Lees steadied the innings as they slowly put together a partnership of 76, though Root was somewhat fortunate to see Da Silva drop him on 34, even if it was a difficult opportunity for the West Indies wicketkeeper down the leg side.
The Yorkshireman reached his 50, only to see Lees fall next ball for 30 to lbw off the bowling of Veerasammy Permaul.
Lawrence was next in and though he started slowly, soon settled in as he began hitting boundaries, including a six off Permaul.
The 24-year-old reached the fourth 50 of his career just before Root sealed his ton, which is the 25th time he has raised his bat to three figures in Test cricket.
After tea, it was all too comfortable for England as Root (119 not out) and Lawrence (91) continued to build on a partnership of 164, before Lawrence hit a Jason Holder delivery straight to Kraigg Brathwaite off the last ball of the day to give the hosts a rare occasion to celebrate.
Root in the form of his life
It must be said that it was a very batsman-friendly pitch on day one at Bridgetown, but Root took full advantage as he put together a very useful knock to surely ensure a big first-innings total for his team.
After scoring 1,708 Test runs in 15 matches in 2021, he has already managed 310 in three and a half in 2022.
This was the fourth Test 100 Root has scored in the West Indies, more than he has managed in any other country apart from England.
Lawrence offers ideal support role
One continuing theme of the recent Ashes series was England players coming in to bat, seemingly trying to settle slowly into their innings, and then getting themselves out before they started scoring any runs.
Lawrence looked to be doing the same here, but once he got his first boundary, looked calm and composed at the crease as he set about assisting Root in building a big total, and managed to reach the highest score of his Test career so far before a disappointing dismissal.
The matches for the tournament will be played in Antigua, Guyana, Saint Kitts, and Trinidad. Antigua has been earmarked to host the Super League quarter-finals, semi-finals the finals, in addition to the 3rd, 5th, and 7th place playoffs.
The main venues that will be used are the Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium but there have been questions asked about the state of some of the practice grounds with the tournament set to bowl off on January 14.
Two of the venues of concern are the Liberta Sports Club and the Police Recreation Ground. At Liberta, issues were recently brought to the fore regarding the reconstruction of a section of the facility’s fencing and work for the bathrooms.
Matthew insists there is no need to worry, however, as the government fully intends to honour its commitment.
“I just want to assure the public of Antigua and Barbuda that all of the venues will be ready. We’re almost there in terms of our readiness to host what is probably the largest international cricket event on our shores and the nation will be proud,” Matthew told the Antigua Observer.
“The major area of work that needs to be done [in Liberta] is one part of the fencing and so you can be assured that those things will be completed because it is part of our hosting requirement and so we do not have the option to not do it,” he added.
The ICC Under-19 World Cup will take place between 14 January – 5 February.
“We’re actually hosting the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals for the Under-19 World Cup, and immediately following that we will be hosting the Test series with England, the Richards-Botham series and so we will be hosting a four-day warm-up match and then go right into the first Test so for the next eight to 10 weeks we should be having a substantial amount of cricket here in Antigua and Barbuda.”
The 29-year-old has played nine Tests for the Windies, with his last coming against Sri Lanka in November 2021. In those nine Tests, he has taken 34 wickets at an average of 37.76 and a strike rate of 78.3.
The squad is also expected to include Guyanese left hander Tagenarine Chanderpaul, son of West Indies legend Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who is in line to make his Test debut after incumbent West Indies opener John Campbell was banned for four years by an Independent Anti-Doping Panel after failing to provide a blood sample to doping control officers in April 2022.
Full Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Nkrumah Bonner, Kyle Mayers, Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain), Joshua Da Silva, Shamarh Brooks, Raymon Reifer, Jason Holder, Devon Thomas, Rahkeem Cornwall, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip.
Apex Group, a global provider of financial, sustainability and environmental services, will feature prominently on the global television broadcast, as well as prime pitch and wicket branding placements, and the Apex logo will also appear on the breast of the West Indies Test kit for the duration of the Apex Test Series. Apex will be granted access to the West Indies team for marketing activation and content and will deliver several sustainability initiatives involving the participation of West Indies players.
CWI’s and Apex Sustainability Partnership commenced in October 2021, ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with the Apex brand appearing on the West Indies’ ICC T20 World Cup shirt. Apex is providing sustainability and environmental advisory services over a three-year period as CWI’s Exclusive Sustainability Partner. By providing CWI with annual carbon footprint assessments, Apex will help lead the way in driving sustainability in cricket across the region by supporting CWI in creating an action plan to reduce and offset climate-altering outputs, including international travel.
The Apex Test Series will be played for the newly-minted Richards-Botham Trophy, named in honour of legends Sir Vivian Richards and Lord Ian Botham. The Apex Test Series opens appropriately at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua from March 8-12, followed by the second Apex Test at Kensington Oval, Barbados from March 16-20. The third and final contest will be at the idyllic Grenada National Stadium from March 24-28. All three Apex Test matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship with both West Indies and England vying for points to challenge for qualification for the World Test Championship final in 2023.
“We’re delighted to build on our growing relationship with Apex for the upcoming Apex Test Series, which continues to be the most anticipated and highest-profile international sports event in the Caribbean,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.
“With the West Indies versus England Test rivalry dating back nearly one hundred years, this deeper partnership with Apex enables CWI to make cricket more sustainable as we move towards a second century of West Indies cricket and build the next generation of cricketers across the Caribbean.”
Meanwhile, Peter Hughes, Founder and CEO of Apex Group said this is an important partnership for his company.
“Following a challenging two years for sport, we are pleased to be a part of the return of International Test Cricket hosted in the West Indies,” he said.
“This is an important partnership for us, as we look forward to further leveraging the combined global platform Apex Group and the West Indies represent, to raise awareness for driving greater environmental sustainability in the sport; for fans, players and future generations.”
The Windies lost the first test to the Sri Lankans by 187 runs in Galle while only managing to score 230 and 160 in their two turns at the wicket.
The problem, according to Da Silva, was a technical one.
“We played a bit too far in front of us, especially in the first innings,” he said.
Da Silva was one of the bright spots in the second innings, making a well-played 54 off 125 balls as part of a 100-run partnership with Nkrumah Bonner, who remained not out at the end on 68.
Speaking after the match, Da Silva highlighted the difficulty of the conditions that the batsmen faced.
“Conditions were challenging. The pitch was turning a lot and the straighter ball was sliding on a bit so it was a difficult new-ball wicket but once the ball got a bit softer, it was a bit easier and we were able to get more on top of the bowlers,” he said.
The Trinidadian also gave some insight into what led to the big second innings partnership with Bonner that saw them take the score from 18-6 to 118-7.
“Well, when I got into the wicket with Bonner we had to rebuild. We had to think about how we were going to get out of a bit of a collapse so we just wanted to bat balls and both of us wanted to be at the wicket at the end of the day,” said Da Silva.
He also said that Sri Lanka didn’t do anything the Windies didn’t expect going into the game.
“They just played the cricket they know how to play. They used their spinners wisely and they batted well in the conditions they know how to bat very well. They used their home advantage,” he said.
Finally, Da Silva explained what needs to change for the West Indies to turn the series around.
“I just think the boys need to fight. We need to believe in ourselves. Nobody goes out there to fail. Everybody’s trying their best so just a bit of application and give yourself some time. You have a lot more time than you think,” he said.
The Windies will be looking to even the series in the second test which begins on Sunday at 11:30 pm local time.
England face West Indies in the third and final Test at Old Trafford on Friday needing to win to regain the Wisden Trophy.
As for the second match, Root has altered his attack, although Mark Wood again misses out.
Archer - unable to play last time out after breaching biosecurity protocols - and Anderson are back, meaning Sam Curran makes way.
But with Stokes managing an injury, number three Zak Crawley has also dropped out to get the extra bowler in, seeing the rest of the order shift up.
That batting order was swiftly tested after Windies captain Jason Holder won the toss and, as in the previous match, opted to bowl first.
"We've balanced the side out as best we can and I actually feel like we've got a very good, well balanced team. I'm not worried about that at all," Root said, before quickly finding himself in the middle when Kemar Roach dismissed Dom Sibley lbw for a duck in the first over.
Of Archer's return, the captain added: "Jofra's ready to play. Over the last couple of days, he's got his smile back and bowled with real pace in the nets.
"He knows he's got the full support of the dressing room and the guys around him. We're really looking forward to him getting back out there and showing everyone how talented he is."
On the possibilty of Stokes bowling, Root said: "We'll have to see how things go. We can monitor that as the game progresses. But we have to make sure we look after him as best as possible."
Stokes - now the ICC's top-ranked all-rounder - revealed he had "been better" and was still unsure of the nature of the injury.
He said: "It's going to be a day by day thing. I was a little bit worried I wouldn't be able to offer everything I could with the ball, especially in the first innings."
The Windies have also made a change, meanwhile, bringing in spinner Rahkeem Cornwall for Alzarri Joseph in a match they need only to draw to retain the trophy.
Rain is forecast on four days in Manchester.
The England pace bowler, who claimed figures of 3-106 in the first Test against the West Indies, was dropped for the second Test after it emerged he broke rules aimed at reducing the risk of coronavirus infection.
Archer said he was "extremely sorry" for putting "the whole team and management in danger" through an unsanctioned visit to his home in Hove on Monday.
The 25-year-old is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday, July 21, after the second Test against the West Indies at Old Trafford is concluded.
In a statement, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: "Following a disciplinary hearing held on Friday, July 17, England cricketer Jofra Archer has been fined an undisclosed amount and received an official written warning after admitting to breaching the team's bio-secure protocols on Monday July 13 when he made an unauthorised visit to his home in Hove.
"Archer was withdrawn from England's second Test squad against West Indies at Emirates Old Trafford and is commencing five days of isolation at the venue. He will undergo two COVID-19 tests in this period, which have to test negative before his self-isolation period is lifted. He is due to rejoin the rest of the squad on Tuesday July 21.
"The hearing was chaired by Ashley Giles, Managing Director, England Men's Cricket and included Archer's agent and a representative from the Professional Cricketers' Association."
The West Indies won the first of the three-match series in Southampton by four wickets.
Archer missed the second Test as he was forced to self-isolate after breaching biosecurity protocols drawn up for the first international series since the coronavirus pandemic ground cricket to a halt.
England went on to level the series with a 113-run win at Old Trafford despite Archer's absence and losing a day of play to rain.
The fast bowler will be available for selection for the decider at the same venue, though, and fellow seamers Anderson and Wood are also back in the frame having been rested for the second Test.
Captain Joe Root and coach Chris Silverwood face a selection dilemma with the return of the trio after Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes staked their claims for inclusion with instrumental bowling performances to help square the series, taking 11 wickets between them.
Uncapped seamer Ollie Robinson drops out of the 14-man squad.
England squad: Joe Root (captain), James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Dominic Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
The 29-year-old, who has not played competitive cricket since May due to a long-term elbow injury, could make his first appearance for the international team since a tour of Bangladesh in March 2023.
Archer has been limited to just 15 T20Is since his England debut in 2019 and missed their 2022 World Cup success in Australia due to the same injury.
There is a recall for fellow fast-bowler Chris Jordan, who last played for England against New Zealand in September 2023, at the expense of Chris Woakes.
Uncapped Lancashire left-arm spinner, Tom Hartley, is also named in Jos Buttler’s 15-man squad, which includes nine players from the 2022 World Cup.
England will play a four-match T20 series against Pakistan at Headingley in May before they begin their T20 World Cup title defence against Scotland in Barbados on 4 June.
England’s provisional squad:
Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, To Hartley, Will Jacks, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingston, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
The pace bowler claimed match figures of 3-106 in the series opener last week in Southampton, a game the tourists won by four wickets to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.
England will aim to draw level in Manchester but Archer will not be in their XI as he isolates for five days.
The 25-year-old will also undergo two COVID-19 tests during that period, with both results needing to be negative before his self-isolation is lifted.
With both teams staying at Old Trafford as part of the measures put in place for the series due to the coronavirus pandemic, West Indies have been informed of the situation and are satisfied with the measures imposed.
"I am extremely sorry for what I have done," Archer said in a statement released by England ahead of Thursday's opening day of play.
"I have put, not only myself, but the whole team and management in danger. I fully accept the consequences of my actions, and I want to sincerely apologise to everyone in the bio-secure bubble.
"It deeply pains me to be missing the Test match, especially with the series poised. I feel like I have let both teams down, and again I am sorry."
England announced on Wednesday that James Anderson and Mark Wood will be rested for the second Test, meaning the former misses out on playing at his home ground.
With Archer also now out, Stuart Broad appears certain to be recalled. The home side drafted in left-armer Sam Curran and uncapped Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson to a 13-man squad which also included Chris Woakes.
Joe Root returns to captain the team after missing the opening Test due to the birth of his second child.
Archer was forced to sit out England's series-tying victory over West Indies in the second Test at Old Trafford after breaking COVID-19 protocols.
The fast bowler made an unauthorised trip to his Brighton home en route from Southampton – where the Windies took a 1-0 lead in the series – to Manchester last week.
After accepting a fine, understood to be in the region of his £15,000 match fee, and a written warning, Archer is available to take part in the series decider that begins on Friday.
In a column for the Daily Mail, the 25-year-old said he had endured an "extremely tough" week in relation to the fallout from actions that forced him to spend five days in isolation in a hotel room – a situation compounded by sickening online abuse.
"Some of the abuse I have taken over the past few days on Instagram has been racist and I have decided that enough is enough," Archer said.
"Since Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace footballer, was abused by a 12-year-old online I drew a line and I will not allow anything to pass, so I have forwarded on my complaints to the ECB and that will go through the correct process."
A statement released by the ECB on Wednesday read: “The racist message was brought to our attention by Jofra Archer last week.
"We are supporting him and we have reported the message through the appropriate channels and authorities."
Archer thanked England captain Joe Root and vice-captain Ben Stokes for supporting him following his indiscretion but conceded he was unsure whether he would be mentally ready to compete in the third Test.
"I found I was struggling for motivation in the circumstances when it came to returning to bowling in the nets," he said.
"I spoke briefly to the doctor about how I'm feeling and also to Ben Stokes on Monday night.
"Ben tried to advise me on how to deal with being in the spotlight of international sport. He vowed to back me and support me.
"Now, I need to be 100 per cent mentally right so that I can throw myself into my cricket this week.
"There is a series to win, and after the win in the second match it's there for the taking. We have got amazing depth in the squad, especially now no one is injured, so many options and therefore to do justice to myself and the rest of my team-mates I have to be ready when called upon.
"I give 100 per cent every time I go out there and I don't want to go out on the field unless I can guarantee doing that."
Archer has taken 33 wickets at an average of 28.12 in eight Tests, including three five-wicket hauls. Since making his international debut last year, he has claimed 58 wickets in all formats.
Last November, he was racially abused by a spectator when England played New Zealand in Mount Maunganui. A 28-year-old man who admitted to the offence was banned from attending international and domestic cricket matches in New Zealand for two years.
Throughout the three-Test series, which is being played behind closed doors, England and West Indies players are wearing the "Black Lives Matter" logo on their kits.
The regional team was on the wrong side of a 3-0 mauling, at the hands of Bangladesh, in a lopsided series that showed a tremendous gulf in quality between the two teams.
The result could not have been entirely unexpected, as a full-strength Bangladesh comfortably beat a full-strength West Indies team in 2019. The Jason-Mohammed team that took the field last week had at least eight players making their international debut.
Skerritt’s administration has made it clear that players who opt out of tours during the pandemic will not be punished, believes that the threat that the disease poses to the players must be acknowledged.
“We have to deal with the reality that players are facing a tremendously stressful decision about their careers and whether they participate in cricket under risky situations; even though cricket West Indies and other boards are doing everything possible to minimize the risk,” Skerritt told the Mason and Guest radio show.
“What do you do to get the best players on the park, when many of the best players are reluctant to travel and choose not to play? Are you going to punish them? Are you going to say if you don’t play then you don’t play again ever, then you lose them forever?”
"I listen to some of the discussion’s about COVID and I wonder if we believe that COVID only affects us individually and we should be fearful, but players and others shouldn’t. So what has happened with this particular tour and the two tours before, during COVID is that you could not get all of your best players on tour at the same time.”
Arthur and opener Thirimanne are following government health protocols after discovering they had contracted COVID-19 in the latest round of testing on Tuesday.
Sri Lanka are due to head out to the Caribbean this month, but the tour may be put back.
A Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) statement released on Wednesday said: "Following PCR Tests carried out on the provisional squad, which was preparing to take part in the national team's upcoming tour of the West Indies, head coach Mickey Arthur and Sri Lanka player Lahiru Thirimanne have tested positive for Covid-19.
"They were detected following PCR Tests carried out yesterday for the entire 36-member squad, along with the coaching staff, net bowlers, and the HPC Staff.
"Immediately upon identification, both Mickey Arthur and Lahiru Thirimanne have been directed to follow the government’s health protocol laid out on COVIDI-19.
"The 36-member group commenced practices on the 28th January, in three groups and at different time periods, as a precautionary health measure.
"Considering the current situation, SLC is exploring the possibility of rescheduling the Tour of the West Indies, which was scheduled to commence on 20th Feb, 2021.
"In the meantime, Sri Lanka Cricket will continue with normal operations, adhering to the stipulated health protocols in all its centers."
Sri Lanka were whitewashed 2-0 by England in a recent series in Galle.
Shimron Hetmyer, who has not played for the West Indies since November 2021, has been training with the squad but according to the Windies' white-ball captain, the Guyanese middle-order batsman, still has a lot of work to do on his fitness before he can suit up once again.
“He is here doing a lot of work on his fitness and that is really nice to see, the effort that he has been putting in,” Pooran said during a media session on Thursday.
“He wants to play for the West Indies and trainers and coaches working with him, so expect to see him sooner than later.
“I have full confidence that he will be putting on the maroon colours again. He has a fitness test to pass shortly, so he is preparing himself for that.”
In two warm-up matches against Australia and India, the West Indies Women failed to score 200 runs each time losing by 90 and 81 runs, respectively. And while Head Coach Courtney Walsh preferred to focus on the positives, the realities of the situation are that if they are to do well, they have to produce scores well above 200 runs consistently.
Those thoughts were communicated at a recent team meeting.
"We had our meeting and we said that to be competitive we have to be scoring over two hundred runs," Taylor said in a pre-match interview. "In the two games that we played, we didn't do so. So that's something that we've had a look at and, moving forward, that's something that we need to work at."
Taylor believes the players need to spend time at the crease building innings that will give the team opportunities to get big scores that will give them better chances against Australia, India and tonight’s opponents, New Zealand.
"When it comes down to the longer format, we just need to spend more time out there in the middle. That's an area that we've been falling down a lot in, rotating the strike and try to build more partnerships. We haven't been building a lot of partnerships so hence the reason why we keep falling down in that department," Taylor argued while acknowledging that there has been less dependence of batters like Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews and her, to get runs.
In recent times, players like Kycia Knight and Chedean Nation have been getting good scores but other batters still need to step up with greater frequency, Taylor said.
"The other batters are starting to contribute. What we need to do is be in that collective in each game, be consistent. That's something that I've talked about a lot, being consistent, not just one or two batters always performing and probably looking at how teams are playing, a lot more fifties, batters stepping up and taking that responsibility. As batters we have to do that more consistently," Taylor said.
After Captain Kraig Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, the home side were bowled out for 150 in 64.3 overs. The West Indies batsmen were left in a spin as Ravichandran Ashwin took 5-60 and Ravindra Jadeja had figures of 3-26.
At stumps, India were 80-0, trailing by only 70 runs as Test debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal remained unbeaten on 40. At the other end Rohit Sharma was not out 30. Neither batsman seemed troubled by a West Indies attack that lacked penetration.
The only thing redeeming about the West Indies was Alick Athanaze, who scored 47 to top score for the home side. Brathwaite got 20, which was the second-highest score for the West Indies.
Raheem Cornwall was not out on 19 when the West Indies innings came to an end.
As things stand, the West Indies bowlers have a long day ahead of them on Thursday.
In a tournament that included the likes of Shubman Gill, Prithvi Shaw and Harry Brook, Athanaze finished as the leading run-scorer with 418 runs in six matches, including two centuries and two fifties.
Five years later, the 24-year-old was finally given a chance to perform for the West Indies on the biggest stage and he grabbed that chance with both hands.
The left-hander opened the batting as the West Indies pursued 185 for victory in the third ODI against the UAE and played excellently, making a 45-ball 65 to top score.
“It was a really good experience. I haven’t batted much in the night so it was a first for me, actually,” Athanaze said in a post-match interview.
Athanaze also made history at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He brought up his half-century off just 26 balls, equaling India’s Krunal Pandya for the fastest ODI fifty by a debutant ever.
“Normally, that’s how I play in the powerplay. I always look to get the team off to a good start,” he said.
“I was a bit nervous but I think they went away when I got my first runs,” Athanaze added.
Athanaze also gave credit to the mentorship he has received from West Indies legend and current performance consultant, Brian Lara.
“For me, it has been really good. Basically, what we spoke about was judging lengths and trying to get ahead of the bowler; try to think about what is to come and pre-meditate balls. It worked really nicely. I got myself into some good positions. It was good to bat out there tonight,” said Athanaze.
Hopefully, this is the start of an excellent career in international cricket for the Dominican.
West Indies XI made a solid start in their three-day tour match against Pakistan Shaheens, as they closed the opening day at 273-7 in Islamabad on Friday.
