West Indies

During that span, Lara scored 11,953 runs in 131 Tests at an average of 52.88 including 34 hundreds and 48 fifties, the biggest of those hundreds coming at the Antigua Recreation Ground against England in 2004 when he scored a world record 400*.

His ODI numbers were equally impressive as he scored 10,405 runs in 299 matches at an average of 40.48 with 19 hundreds and 63 fifties.

Now, Lara hopes to give back to West Indies cricket as a member of the support staff of the senior Men’s team.

Before the team’s ongoing Test series against South Africa, Lara joined the coaching staff as a performance mentor.

Lara described the feeling of wearing the West Indies colors again in an interview with Cricket West Indies on Thursday.

“These are the colors that made me who I am today. It’s a different set of emotions. I remember several years back when I was a youngster living out my dream spending 17 years plying my trade in these very colors,” he said.

“Now, it’s a bit different being a member of staff, looking at present day players and trying to implement a style of play and a philosophy of the game that was successful in the past. I feel that, in time, we will see the benefits of this,” he added.

The former West Indies captain also described what his role will be with the team moving forward.

“I think it’s pretty simple. We have to improve our performances and not just sporadically, we have got to do it on a consistent level and I’m not going to pretty it up. That is what I’m here to do as a performance mentor; to get the players to play better cricket more consistently and to get the West Indies back competitive with the best cricket playing countries in the world,” Lara said.

King made a 148-ball 92, supporting Zachary McCaskie’s 147-ball 93, as Team Weekes ended the day 365-7 off 90 overs. Jahmar Hamilton (57) and Kevin Sinclair (52*) also got fifties on day one.

Entering this contest, King had an average of 34.84 in 32 First-Class games including three hundreds and 12 fifties.

King's last four-day appearance came in March last year when he made an unbeaten 119 for the Jamaica Scorpions against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Stadium.

He spoke about his return to red-ball cricket after the day’s play.

“Very happy to be back playing red ball cricket. It’s been a little while. It was great fun batting out there with no time restrictions,” King said.

The West Indies batsman opener got to the crease with his side 82-3 having lost the wickets of Keacy Carty for 12 and captain Alick Athanaze for a two-ball duck.

He then formed a crucial 136-run fourth wicket partnership with McCaskie.

“It’s 4-day cricket so you have time on your side and you want to try and build a partnership to put the team in a better position,” King said.

“We kept it simple. The pitch wasn’t doing a great deal so we just tried to take as little risk as possible while still putting the bowlers under pressure and it worked out for us,” he added.

Regarding the team’s plan going into the innings, King said it was simple.

“We know that the pitch is generally good for batting and that in the first session the bowlers would get something out of it. Our plan was always to try and bat through the first session with as little wickets as possible then bat the rest of the day,” King said.

“We weren’t too focussed on the number of runs but we knew that if we batted the whole day we’ll get a good score,” King added.

Day two takes place on Thursday.

In an interview with OnlyCricket24.com, the 43-year-old acknowledged the deterioration of West Indies cricket in the last few years, due mostly to the emergence of a number of franchise leagues around the world.

“It’s something the board really and truly has to look at and I can see whatever part I can play in that as well. A lot of players are playing cricket in the United States now. The USA is an option for cricketers to go there and make a living, but we are struggling here in the Caribbean,” he said.

“I think cricket took a wrong turn, but hopefully we can actually develop the game. Club cricket is something to look into as well; we’re not seeing a lot of cricket. I’m speaking from a Jamaica point of view,” he added.

The Jamaica Cricket Association’s premier club competition, the two-day Senior Cup, gets underway on February 11 after a two-year absence.

Gayle also feels he has a part to play in the growth of the regional game, but when the time is right.

“I can help in a few departments, not in all. But first and foremost, I have to find time for myself. I still have a lot on my plate from a personal point of view, but when it comes on to West Indies cricket they will always have my support; when it comes on to Jamaica cricket they will always have my support as well,” he said.

“I have my academy, so we can get some younger players, search for new talent and just help kids on a whole, that’s my plan.” he added.

Gayle’s academy has been dormant since the coronavirus pandemic and he has since reiterated his desire to get it up and running again in 2023.

The regional side lost 0-2 away to Australia in December last year before beating Zimbabwe 1-0 in January 2023.

"I think Australia is obviously history and the Test series in Zimbabwe, obviously a different calibre team, it was good to get a series with them. I think looking here at the South African team, they still have a lot of experience," Brathwaite said at the press conference before the first Test.

"They have got world class bowlers and some quality batsmen, so we have to play some very good Test cricket and it is important that we take control of every hour and we don't think about the big picture. If we take control of every hour, every session, I think we can do well," he added.

The West Indies had three good batting displays against the Zimbabweans, producing scores of 447-6 declared, 203-5 declared and 292.

Individually, Brathwaite’s opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul notched his maiden Test double ton while Raymon Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood and Roston Chase all hit fifties. Joshua Da Silva and Jason Holder both made half centuries in the warm-up match against a South Africa Invitational XI ahead of this series.

Brathwaite hopes this form can carry over into the first Test and beyond.

“It is important that we have a team effort in South Africa. So, it's good to see the top order getting some scores in Zimbabwe and the middle-order in the practice games before the first Test. It's great. It's important we put all the pieces together in this series," he said.

The 30-year-old also encouraged his bowlers ahead of the first Test.

"I think we look forward to bowling at any batting lineup in the world," Brathwaite said.

"We won't be focusing on what the teams have done in the past. It's important that we hit our straps and discipline is very important. We need to stick to our plans and the results will take care of themselves," he added.

South Africa are coming off a 0-2 defeat at the hands of the Aussies themselves and are in a transitional period with Temba Bavuma taking charge in his first series as Test Captain after taking the reins from Dean Elgar.

The first Test bowls off on Tuesday.

The 51-year-old Rose, who played 19 tests and 27 one-day internationals, made this plea in a recent interview with www.usacricketers.com.

He implored players to aspire to be role models, always disciplined and change their attitudes when it comes to international duties.

“Our players need to change their attitudes in the region and I think that is what is affecting our performances over the years, if not our cricket will continue to decline,” Rose commented.

Rose, who took 53 Test wickets, also commented on the standard of First-class cricket in the region.

“We don’t see the bouncy pitches anymore, our fast-bowlers need good pitches to bowl on, we need them to be prepared for international assignments and, again, these come down to the attitude of our players, people blame the administrators but if the players don’t have the right attitude, then things can’t go right” Rose said.

Filling the gap between the youth to senior level is of paramount importance, according to Rose.

“We have got to put things in place to help the youngsters after finishing off at the youth level; we want proper structure, we want good cricket after that youth tournament so we can keep our talented young players in good shape, we don’t want them to have the same attitude from the youth stage and then transfer it to the big stage, so we have got to be smart and change our whole attitude when it comes to our cricket in the Caribbean,” Rose declared.

Since his retirement, Rose has been a steady presence in the United States of America featuring for various clubs in Los Angeles while he has been involved in humanitarian services back in Jamaica.

He performed several coaching roles as well to add to his cricketing criteria.

Like many ex-West Indies players, Rose has reached out to the schools to help with the promotion of cricket. According to Rose, he is doing voluntary coaching with over 30 schools in Jamaica.

“Well, the youths need to be given the chance; I go into schools and try to spot talented players; I always wanted to contribute back to the game; I strongly believe in coaching so I am willing to assist,” Rose said.

The 25-year-old came to the crease with the hosts teetering at 22-4 in the sixth over after bring put in to bat at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.

On a pitch that he described as “tacky” and “spongy” in the post-match press conference, Rutherford took his time in the early part of his innings before accelerating to a top score of 68* to help the West Indies post a match-winning 149-9 from their allotted 20 overs.

Rutherford described the innings as perhaps the best of his career, so far.

“I will put it as my best knock. It’s a World Cup. This is my dream. I’ve always wanted to play in a World Cup and this one is going to stay close to my heart. Hopefully, I can continue to take out good innings like this for my team and for myself,” he said.

At the halfway point of the innings, the West Indies were 49-5 and Rutherford says head coach Daren Sammy’s advice was to bat time and take it deep.

“He was just telling me to take it deep. I was batting with Akeal (Hosein) so I told him to keep going but my role was to basically take it to the 15^th or 16^th over but after we lost wickets I just told myself to try and take it to the 20^th over and try and maximize those last two overs which they had to make up with two bowlers,” he said.

The Guyanese hard-hitter was recently a part of the Indian Premier League with the Kolkata Knight Riders and, despite not getting a game, he says he has been using that time to prepare for situations like the one he faced on Wednesday.

“I pattern my game off these situations. Even before the World Cup, I try to put myself in positions in the nets where I have to bat properly and then have to excel in the end so I think it’s good to see that my plans and my work are coming to show,” he said.

He faced a similar situation when the West Indies found themselves 79-5 batting first in the third T20I against Australia in Perth in February.

Rutherford and Andre Russell put on 139 for the sixth wicket with Rutherford finishing 67* off 40 balls.

He says the main thing he took from that innings was the importance of giving himself time at the crease.

“The innings in Australia is one that I kept close to me and, even though it was a good innings, I try to pick a few things out of it. One of the few things was give myself time. It’s always a process and when you look too far ahead you can forget about the process so, for me, it was just ball after ball, give myself time, run singles and get myself ready so that in the back end I can make up,” he said.

Finally, Rutherford made mention of the crowd at the Brian Lara Stadium.

“When batting I try not to worry about the crowd. I just try to look at what’s in front of me and focus on the process but it’s good to have some support. It’s good to have the home crowd with us and hopefully they can keep supporting us,” he said.

The West Indies will next take on Afghanistan at the Daren Sammy Stadium on June 17.

Interim Head Coach of the West Indies Senior Men’s team Andre Coley says the group are in a good place mentally ahead of the decisive game.

“Every game brings new possibilities. We are in a very good space mentally and we are happy with our preparation,” he said in a press conference on Monday.

“We are just making sure we are ready for this game. We will have to see the conditions and work out the best approach. We have been taking it on a match-by-match basis so we are in a good place and have had good plans,” Coley added.

The tourists went 1-0 up in the series thanks to an excellent batting display, including an unbeaten century from Shai Hope in his first innings as ODI captain.

Coley, while being pleased with the team’s exploits with the bat, hopes other batsmen can go deep into the innings after getting starts.

The Windies amassed 335-8. While Hope made 128*, Brandon King (30), Kyle Mayers (36), Nicholas Pooran (39) and Rovman Powell (46) all got starts and failed to kick on.

“It was satisfying. Firstly, getting a total of 300 plus on the back of Shai’s hundred batting through the innings. We had significant partnerships,” he said.

“It would still have been good to see more batters go on from their starts but very encouraging signs, nonetheless,” Coley added.

On the bowling front, Coley did not make much of the fact that South Africa got off to a fast start, putting it down to the state of the game.

“Chasing a total like that, they wanted to make the powerplay count. We expected that. That is the nature of the game,” he said before acknowledging how well his team responded to the early onslaught.

“We were put under pressure quite early and I thought we responded well. Kyle (Mayers) got that key wicket of Quinton (De Kock) who was going well for them. As the innings progressed, we were able to respond and, in the end, we ended up with a comfortable win,” he added.

The game is scheduled for 3:00 AM Jamaica Time (4:00 AM ECT).

Mason believes the CWI is seemingly willing to bend over backwards to accommodate the players’ fancies.

Russell had declared himself unavailable for the West Indies tour of Pakistan for three T20 Internationals citing personal reasons. A relatively inexperienced West Indies team has so far lost two of the three matches with one match to go on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Russell signed on to represent the Melbourne Stars in Australia’s Big Bash League. On the weekend, he scored an unbeaten 42 from 21 balls and was named Man of the Match in the Stars’ six-wicket win over the Sydney Thunder.

On Tuesday, Dr Shallow sought to explain why Russell was in Australia and not in Pakistan helping the West Indies.

“Russell indicated to the lead selector that he was mentally fatigued in the bubble and in the Big Bash League, where he is now, he would be required to be in a bubble,” Dr Shallow said. “That was the rationale provided to the lead selector.”

An obviously exasperated Mason was unable to contain his displeasure at the situation where certain players only choose to represent the West Indies when it suits them to.

“Yes, Dr Shallow, they have got to get the opportunity to make money but there is a word called ‘sacrifice’,” Mason declared, adding that such situations are almost unique to the West Indies.
“The other players don’t do it to their countries, and I am sure Russell is going to be ready to play for us in the world cup and we are going to pick him.

“We cannot continue with the foolishness with these guys.”

Sir Andy Roberts also weighed in on Dr Shallow’s explanation, suggesting that the players seem to make their decisions based on money only.

“These guys just don’t want to play for the West Indies because the fees ain't that high,” said the long-retired fast bowler. “I am not saying that they should not be allowed to go but they should only go if the West Indies do not require their services.”

This is not the first time Russell has faced criticism over his decisions on when to represent the West Indies.

In December 2020, the iconic Antiguan fast bowler publicly criticized Andre Russell, who declined an invitation to play for the West Indies against New Zealand but later went to play in the Sri Lanka Premier League T20.

Chief selector Roger Harper told media that Russell declined the West Indies invitation citing the need to clear his mind after being in quarantine lockdown for both the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in Trinidad and Tobago where he played for the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise and then, the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Abu Dhabi where he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

“Because he wants to clear his head for a while to get his mind together, I have no problem with that because cricket is a high-pressure game,” Ambrose said then.

“So if you want to clear your head for a while, take your mind off cricket I have no issues with that, but if you are going to reject playing for your nation, your country, and then two weeks later you’re playing for somebody else, that to me is a no-no.”

In a later interview, Ambrose provided further clarity.

“The game has evolved. There is a lot more cricket being played now and many different T20 tournaments around the globe and there’s lots more money as well, so guys are going to go where the money is and I have no issues with that,” Ambrose said.

“A cricket career can be a very short one, once you have an injury it could be all over for you so with guys going around plying their trade with different franchises making money to set themselves up financially, I have no issues with it.

“However, I think it needs to strike a balance somewhere because most of these guys who are playing their trade around the world, it’s because they played for the West Indies team why people saw them and gave them contracts.

So for me, you need to find a balance somewhere where you can give back to West Indies cricket. You need to give back to West Indies cricket at some point as opposed to abandoning West Indies

The tourists recovered from a scary situation in South Africa’s first innings when they orchestrated a batting collapse which saw the hosts go from 226-1 to 342 all out.

In the Windies’ first innings, they had their own collapse, going from 169-3 to 212 all out. The West Indian bowlers were then excellent, restricting South Africa to 116 all out in their second innings leaving the Windies needing 247 for victory.

In the end, the regional side put on a poor batting performance, being bowled out for 159 in 41 overs and losing the Test by 87 runs.

“I think we could have been a bit more selective,” said Blackwood, who top scored in the second innings with 79, to reporters after the match.

“We got out too easy and soft. If we stayed positive, I thought we could have got the runs,” he added.

The tourists will have six days before the start of the second Test in Johannesburg and Blackwood says they will have to fix these problems quickly if they are level the series.

“Obviously, it’s something that we have to learn quickly because we are playing against a quality bowling attack,” Blackwood said.

“Once we can go out there and express ourselves, put away the bad balls and keep out the good balls, I think we can beat South Africa but, as a team, we have to believe we can do that,” he added.

The second Test bowls off on March 8.

The hosts won last Thursday’s first encounter by 28 runs, their biggest win over South Africa in T20Is, and followed it up with a 16-run win in the second game on Saturday and a dominant eight-wicket triumph in the third match on Sunday.

The skipper put the South African performance down to an inability to quickly adapt to the conditions of the Sabina Park pitch.

“We just couldn’t adapt early enough. Yes, we had a long week in terms of layovers in Miami and so forth. I think we saw that in the first match but you can’t keep making the same mistakes,” van der Dussen said after Sunday’s game.

“I think we just got taught a lesson on how to play in Caribbean conditions, especially from a bowling front. It was a difficult wicket to bat on. I think they just out-skilled us, especially with the ball,” he added.

When asked about positives he could take from the three games, he singled out openers Quinton de Kock and Reeza Hendricks as well as young leg-spinner Nqaba Peter who played the last two games, the first two T20Is of his career.

The 35-year-old, who was left out of South Africa’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, says an adjustment he hopes the team makes with the bat is to take a few more chances up front.

“Maybe just be a bit braver. We saw the way the West Indies play, especially in the power play. They really take it on and when the ball’s newer, it’s easier to score than in the back end when the ball gets soft,” he said.

The tourists lost the first Test by 87 runs but had some bright spots, including bowling out the hists in both innings.

“I think it was very good for us as a bowling group to get 20 wickets. That was very important. I think it shows we are not far off,” Brathwaite told reporters in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“It gave us that belief that we could do it and just have to keep believing and it doesn’t matter which team we’re playing, we’ve always got to believe. We had a lot of positives in the first Test and we must just keep improving,” Brathwaite added.

With that being said, the Windies had another tough game with the bat, being dismissed for 212 and 159 in their two turns at the crease.

Brathwaite says this has to change if they are to tie the series.

“As a batting unit, we have got to improve. We have got to spend more time out there. South Africa will come hard, no matter the eleven they play, so we must be ready for it,” he said.

“South Africa is a tough team at home and with a little more application from the batsmen, myself included, we could do well here in these conditions,” he added.

In that season, a 24-year-old Jordan finished as the third highest wicket-taker in the competition with 16 wickets in eight games.

Fast forward four years, the Barbados Pride seamer has been selected in the West Indies Test squad on the back of some superb form in the ongoing CWI West Indies Championship. Jordan has, so far, picked up 12 wickets in two matches to be the leading wicket-taker.

In a recent interview on the Cricket West Indies (CWI) YouTube channel, Jordan, now 28, reacted to being selected in the squad for the South Africa series.

“It means everything to me. I bleed and sweat West Indies Cricket. It is my heart and soul,” Jordan said.

“Me being here and given the chance to represent the West Indies means everything,” he added.

When questioned about what character trait brought him to this point in his career, “self-belief” was Jordan’s response.

“If there’s one thing I’d say for sure, self-belief. If no one would believe in me, I’d definitely believe in myself. I’m the type of guy who would take up a ball at midnight and just try to run up the road and bowl, work on little things. I believe when I put my mind to something, I can get it done. That mindset has brought me a long way so far.”

Jordan gave a very thoughtful answer when asked about expectations for himself.

“For me personally, I just want to come into the team and be a part of the family. I don’t want to come and say that I’m going to blast out anybody. I just want to ease my way in and try to do a job that the team needs me to do and not put any big expectations on my shoulders,” he said before going into how that would translate on the field.

“Hopefully, I can put up my hand in situations, dig us out of holes, take a crucial catch or take a valuable wicket. Something like that, just to be a part of the family so that everyone can feel like yeah, this guy is putting everything into West Indies Cricket.”

Jordan may get his chance to do all that when the West Indies take on South Africa in the first test beginning on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old West Indies talisman is already at the top of the list with 14923 runs inclusive of 24 centuries.  Gayle had expressed thoughts about the possibility of retiring after the last World Cup, before picking a series in the West Indies against India as a final swansong.

The player has, however, apparently now had a complete change of heart even pushing back at some of those who have suggested it could be time to step aside. Gayle has since insisted, in various interviews, that he is feeling good and hopes to play another five years.  In responding to a celebration of his achievements by cricket statistic website Crictracker, who pointed out the achievement of the most T20 centuries, Gayle insisted that there was more to come.

“10 more to come!” the player said in response to the celebratory tweet.  With the World Cup fast approaching, Gayle has been out of action for his international team since last year but has continued to participate in various T20 leagues around the world.  He is expected to take part in the upcoming IPL campaign.

CWI, in partnership with the Government of St. Lucia, through the support of the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), has been able to secure COVID-19 vaccines for all interested squad members.

CWI has been supporting the efforts of regional governments to encourage everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19, with the West Indies Women’s training squad receiving their first doses while at their training camp in Antigua last week.

CWI’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr Israel Dowlat offered CWI’s appreciation of the support received on the vaccinations and their importance to the squad.

“CWI is fully committed to supporting the vaccination drive throughout the region. We are extremely grateful to have our governments and CARPHA who have been partnering with us to host cricket safely and to get our squads vaccinated,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Joy St. John, Executive Director, CARPHA, said CWI through its efforts has been helping to raise awareness of the efficacy of vaccinations.

"Cricket West Indies is leading the way in helping to raise awareness of the need to get vaccinated. They have been actively encouraging their players and staff to get vaccinated and we urge the people of CARICOM to follow them to safety by getting their vaccines as soon as possible," she said.

“The Ministry of Health and Wellness in St. Lucia is pleased to collaborate with CWI to facilitate the immunization of their players. Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health measures in the management of infectious diseases.

Cricket is an important sporting activity in the region and ensuring that it can be facilitated safely, is of importance to us in St. Lucia. We welcome the teams here and look forward to successful and safe activities over the coming weeks.”

Eleven players and support staff received their first dose of the vaccine, along with two squad members who received their second dose. Several members of the training squad have already received their first doses in their home countries and will receive their second dose later in the summer.

The West Indies Men’s squads are living and training in a bio-secure bubble environment ahead of their schedule of international home fixtures.

Due to the threat posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the entire 2020 edition of the tournament was held in Trinidad and Tobago, under strict COVID-19 protocols.

In several respects, the tournament was a success with the event successfully being delivered to a record audience of over 500 million.  The Trinbago Knightriders were eventually crowned champions on their own patch.

St Kitts and Nevis’ Warner Park has been the scene of some of the most iconic matches in Hero CPL history.  Fans were treated to Chris Gayle’s brilliant hundred against the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2019 and Andre Russell’s even more explosive century against the Trinbago Knight Riders in 2016. There have also been some amazing matches, not least the game that went to a Super Over finish between St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and the Knight Riders in 2019.

This year’s tournament takes on extra significance with it taking place in the lead up to the ICC T20 World Cup and both West Indies and overseas players will be using the opportunity to push for selection for their international teams.

 “We are delighted to be able to announce that we will be having the Hero CPL in St Kitts & Nevis in 2021 and we would like to thank those involved in welcoming the tournament to this wonderful country,” Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s COO, said.

“As was demonstrated during the 2020 tournament the CPL is a massive boost for the host country with US$51.5million delivered in sponsorship value for Trinidad & Tobago. We are really looking forward to giving St Kitts & Nevis the exposure they deserve.”

The panel named 24 players for two three-day fixtures, which will be played at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on October 27-29 and November 1-3. The two teams will be led by Kraigg Brathwaite and Jermaine Blackwood.

The players will use these matches as preparations ahead of West Indies’ forthcoming tour to Sri Lanka for two Test matches following the ICC T20 World Cup. The team will depart from Antigua on November 6 and the tour will run until December 4. The full tour squad and schedule will be announced at a later date. The series is the second of six series, three at home and three away, that West Indies will play in the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship after drawing the first Betway Test Series against Pakistan in August.

 “These Best v Best matches are a critical part of the Test team’s preparation for the series in Sri Lanka. For a number of players, it will be the only serious red ball cricket they will have since the Betway Test series against Pakistan and prior to going on this tour. So, it helps to get them back into the groove of the red-ball format and gives the Selection Panel an indication of the players’ readiness for the tour,” said Lead Selector Roger Harper.

SQUAD A: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Shai Hope, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Jayden Seales, Preston McSween, Nial Smith and Jeremy Solozano.

 SQUAD B: Jermaine Blackwood (Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Kavem Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Imran Khan, Shayne Moseley, Kieran Powell, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach and Jomel Warrican.

The 34-year-old Broad wrapped up England's 269-run victory at Old Trafford by dismissing Jermaine Blackwood, securing a 10-wicket haul in the match.

That was his 501st Test wicket, the landmark having been reached earlier in the day when he pinned Kraigg Brathwaite lbw, as Broad added 4-36 to his first-innings 6-31.

Broad also cracked a rapid 62 with the bat in an important first-innings knock, just as West Indies were disrupting the home side's momentum.

Root commended England on back-to-back Old Trafford wins that he described as "excellent", after the hosts lost the first game at Hampshire's Rose Bowl.

He said the bowling had been outstanding, and Root was delighted with Broad particularly, the 34-year-old having been recalled after being overlooked for that opening defeat.

"For him to come back into the team and over the course of the two games have such an impact is testament to how good a player he has been for England over such a long period of time," Root said on Sky Sports.

"I couldn't be more happy for him to finish off the way it did today. Runs in the first innings, 10 wickets in the game, 500 Test match wickets... it's a phenomenal achievement.

"It sort of sums Stuart up - he gets on those hot streaks and has real impacts in games. He wants to be a part of those big occasions and I'm really pleased for him to get to that milestone.

"There's so many different occasions - a number of different Ashes series where he's done it, in Johannesburg, with his match-winning spell there, here within this series. He's that sort of guy that really grabs the game and wrestles it in your favour."

Broad and James Anderson were back in tandem, with England's most prolific Test bowlers continuing to set high standards. Only seven bowlers in the history of Test cricket have taken 500 wickets or more, and England currently have two of them within their ranks.

Chris Woakes stepped up in the second innings to take five wickets, and Root sees the influence of England's two bowling talismen rubbing off.

"We're looking at two of England’s best bowlers of all time. I've said it before but we've got to understand how lucky we are to see them going about their business, playing alongside them, seeing them operate day in and day out," Root said.

"It's a real privilege to play alongside both Jimmy and Stuart and hopefully it's going to happen for a lot longer as well."

With Jofra Archer also offering a pace threat, Root believes England are supremely strong in that department.

He said: "You look at the talent that's among those guys and it offers a huge amount, and I feel like they could exploit a lot of different surfaces around the world."

Pakistan will play two Test matches in the Caribbean in August.

Seamer Abbas - who has 84 Test wickets at an impressive average of 22.80 - had been dropped for the series' against South Africa and Zimbabwe.

But the 31-year-old has been rewarded for his productive spell with Hampshire in the County Championship.

Eighteen-year-old paceman Naseem is also recalled after struggling with a back injury for much of 2020.

Tabish Khan and Salman Ali Agha are not included in the 21-man squad which is led by captain Babar Azam, with the involvement of Yasir Shah subject to his fitness.

Pakistan will also play five T20I matches against West Indies, with that tour preceded by three ODIs and as many T20Is against England.

Wicketkeeper Azam Khan has made the T20I squad for the first time, while Imad Wasim is also included.

Haris Sohail and Saud Shakeel are back in the 50-over group after regaining their fitness.

"We have remained consistent in our selection and kept the same core of cricketers who have been in the set-up for a while," chief selector Mohammad Wasim said. 

"This is an extremely important and critical tour for Pakistan as we will be playing the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs against England as well as the T20Is against England and the West Indies as part of our preparations for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. 

"The Jamaica Test will count towards the ICC World Test Championship. As such, keeping in view the above and in consultation with captain Babar Azam and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, we have tried our best to maintain the winning combinations but at the same time recalled four experienced players and rewarded uncapped Azam Khan for his domestic performance, while also giving him the required confidence for the future challenges.

"Mohammad Abbas has regained his form, Naseem Shah and Haris Sohail have reclaimed the required fitness standards, while Imad Wasim has been recalled considering the T20 World Cup is likely to be held in the UAE and he enjoys an excellent record there." 
 

Test squad: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf , Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imran Butt, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Yasir Shah (subject to fitness), Zahid Mahmood.

ODI squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir.

T20I squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Usman Qadir.

Root will miss the first Test of the series to be at the birth of his second child and the pacer could face only two of the top six in a batting line-up he dominated in the Caribbean last year.  Newcomers Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope are set to join the line-up in Southampton along with Joe Denly, who played the second and third Tests of England's Caribbean tour last year.

“It’s different conditions now, we are in England this time around.  I see England has also made some changes to their batting line-up so it’s all about assessing each batsman and following-up their weaknesses and exploiting them,” Roach told members of the media via a Zoom press conference on Sunday.

“Of course, I would love to have the same batting line because it’s what we got used to for the last few series but there are a few changes so it’s all about sticking to the game plan,” he added.

“A Test match without Root, the fantastic stats he has, is going to be a bit of an advantage for us.  He's one that keeps the England batting together, he's done fantastically for them for the last couple of years,” he added.

"Without him, it is a bit of an advantage for us, but also a little bit of a disadvantage because there are some new guys coming in that we obviously have to work out and see what their weaknesses are and try to exploit them. So it goes 50-50, but once we get stuck in and hit our straps and put the balls in the right area I think we stand a very good chance of going out there and performing well."

“I’m pretty disappointed as well,” Haynes said speaking in a press conference on Monday.

“When you look at the amount of cricket that is being played around the world, I think there is a certain level of fitness that is required and I think there is a standard that you should set as a professional cricketer,” added Haynes before going on to mention how picking players while being unsure of whether or not they can finish tours is a concern.

“I do get concerned when you have to be selecting the side and not sure if these guys are going to be fit enough to finish the tour,” he said.

"For contracted players who are unavailable for fitness, there are consequences that are outlined in the contracts," Adams said.

One player who missed out on selection for the tour of the Netherlands in June because of failure to meet minimum fitness requirements is Trinidadian left-handed opener, Evin Lewis.

"We have players who, in our eyes are good enough to be considered for selection who are unavailable because of not even coming in on minimum fitness standards. That is very disappointing. For players who are contracted, that is doubly disappointing,” the former West Indies middle-order batsman added.

On a more positive note, Haynes commented on the inclusion of new faces in the team like St. Maarten’s Keacy Carty.

“As the new group of selectors, we have made it very clear that we will give opportunities to people and try to broaden the pool and start thinking with 2023 in mind,” he said.