Kemar Roach

The West Indies lost the series 2-1 and relinquished the Wisden Trophy they won in the Caribbean in early 2019.

Holder’s ranking took a hit after his underwhelming showing at Old Trafford where he took only two wickets for 107 runs as the West Indies fell to defeat by 269 runs.

At the end of the second Test that was also played at Old Trafford, Holder had 834 ranking points. However, having underperformed with the ball in the final Test, the Barbadian lost 24 ranking points, which triggered his fall down the rankings.

However, he maintains his number 2 ranking in the all-rounder rankings behind England’s Ben Stokes.

Meanwhile, Kemar Roach, who took his 200th Test wicket in the final Test in which he snared four wickets, collected four ranking points to move up a spot from 16^th in the rankings.

Shannon Gabriel holds firm at 19. Chase is at 31.

Roach reached the milestone of 200 Test wickets during day two of the third match against England.  In the process, the player became the first West Indian in 26 years and 9^th overall to achieve the feat.  The list is headed by Courtney Walsh who once held the world record with 519 wickets.

“200 wickets, definitely in the top ten West Indies fast bowlers of all-time in terms of his stats,” Holder told members of the media via a Zoom hosted press conference on Tuesday.  The team captain was then quick to point out Roach’s exceptional attitude on the field.

“You just always see the effort he puts in on the cricket field.  I just can’t think of any time I’ve ever called on Kemar and he has said no, or he is not up for it.  He always keeps running in and giving it a massive effort.  I am not surprised Kemar has produced what he has so far,” he added.

The series began in difficult fashion for Roach.  The pace bowler, despite crafting excellent, economic spells, had failed to claim a wicket for the entire first Test. In fact, Roach’s dismissal of Ben Stokes, in the second Test, ended a wicket drought going back to August 31, 2019, and lasting 521 deliveries, or 86.5 overs.

List of top West Indies Test wicket-getters

(The 200 wickets club)

CA Walsh (132) 519

CEL Ambrose   (98) 405

MD Marshall (81) 376    

LR Gibbs (79) 309

J Garner (58) 259

MA Holding (60) 249

GS Sobers  (93) 235    

AME Roberts (90) 202

KAJ Roach (106) 201

The tall seam bowler engineered a batting collapse as the last five wickets fell for 19 runs that resulted in the visitors being bowled out for 169 on a good surface at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

Holder registered his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests off 17.4 overs and in the process reached 200 first-class wickets. He was supported by 3-47 from Kemar Roach who has now taken 33 wickets at this venue in his sixth match.

Holder started by having Dinesh Chandimal caught at the wicket by Josh Da Silva just before lunch to leave Sri Lanka at 54-3. He later accounted for top scorer Lahiru Thirimanne, who was bowled for 73, a total that came off 180 balls and included four boundaries.

West Indies batted through the final hour to reach 13-0 at the close, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite on three not out and John Campbell on seven not out.

“It’s very pleasing, the ball came out very well, my rhythm was very good, and I also managed to get some movement off the pitch, so it was great to get among the wickets and pick up a five-for on the first day,” Holder said afterwards.

“We bowled really well, and we couldn’t have asked for much more. The discipline I showed with the ball was the key. Hopefully, going on later in the game I could make another major contribution with bat and with the ball.

“It was really good to see the batsmen fighting it through this evening as well, in what was a very important period. We want to go on tomorrow and set up a big total. That would be important for us as well. We were also very good in the field.”

The match resumes today at 9:00 am Jamaica time (10 am ECT).

For Holder, he former West Indies Test and One-Day captain, it would be his first regional first-class match in four years. The 32-year-old, who is also a former Barbados captain, will be joined by fellow international stars Roach and Raymon Reifer in the Vasbert Drakes-coached 12-man squad led by current Test skipper Kraigg Brathwaite.

Holder’s red-ball career has come under the spotlight in recent times, after he turned down a central retainer from Cricket West Indies, and also opted out of the two-Test tour of Australia, to focus on franchise Twenty20 cricket.

However, he did declare that he had intentions of quitting the longest format, and, as such, should be included in this summer's visit to England for the three-Test series.

Holder’s last regional first class game was against Harpy Eagles at Providence during the 2020 season which was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Roach, too, will be turning out in his first regional first-class game in four years, having also last featured in the 2020 season.

The 35-year-old is the fifth highest wicket-taker in Tests for West Indies with 270 scalps and has also taken 523 first class wickets from 162 matches.

Holder and Roach will certainly add impetus to the Pride's bowling attack which comprises Chemar Holder, Jair McAllister and Shaquille Cumberbatch.

Barbados are currently third in the championship standings on 43.8 points, almost two points behind second-placed Leeward Islands Hurricanes (45.6), with unbeaten Windward Islands Volcanoes top with 62.2 points.

SQUAD – Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Shaquille Cumberbatch, Shane Dowrich, Chaim Holder, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Raymon Reifer, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Jonathan Drakes, Shian Brathwaite

Holder, who was a part of the team’s recent tour of India, will be rested for both the three-match ODI and Twenty20 series against Ireland.  The player will also be unavailable for his regional team Barbados in the upcoming four-day competition fixtures.

“Jason will be rested during the Ireland series and will be unavailable for Barbados until the end of the series against Sri Lanka in February. He will then be assessed coming out of the SL series and a decision made and communicated on what his regional workloads will be for the later rounds of the 4-day competition,” CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams told Barbados Today.

With a busy 2020 coming up, which will includes the team’s defense of the T20 World title, another player targeted for load management is fast bowler Kemar Roach.

The bowler is not in the Barbados team for the opening match against Windward Islands Volcanoes in St. Vincent following a request from Cricket West Indies (CWI) that he plays six of the maximum ten matches.

“We see the need to manage Kemar and Jason’s workloads to get the best out of them for 2020," Adams explained.

Despite the presence of several spinners in the squad, the 32-year-old is expected to lead the West Indies bowling line-up, along with fellow pace bowlers Shannon Gabriel and Alzarri Joseph.  If the dominance of spinners in the One Day International series, on pitches that offered very little assistance to pace bowlers, is anything to go by they will certainly have their work cut out.

Having been in Bangladesh on two prior Test series, Roach would know first-hand what it takes to succeed on spin-friendly terrain.

In 2011, he claimed 0 for 52 off 9 overs and 1 for 49 off 13.2 overs in the second Test of the series.  When he returned in 2018, he claimed 1 for 74 off 18 overs in the first Test and 2 for 61 in 25 overs as Bangladesh made a mammoth 500 in the second Test.

“It mostly favours the spinners but I think there is enough there for fast bowlers to get something as well.  It’s just about having your plans, executing, and being disciplined,” Roach told members of the media via a press conference from Bangladesh on Tuesday.

“It’s going to be tough, we know we have to bowl a lot more overs to get our rewards but once you are willing to put the work in you can get some rewards over here…so it’s going to be tough but I’m up for the fight.”

The Windies have had recent success with pace bowling in Bangladesh with Tino Best claiming a five-for in 2012 and Fidel Edwards claiming 8 wickets in the 2011 series.

Seales, who finished with nine wickets in a 40-run loss that helped South Africa win the ICC World Test Championship series 1-0, achieved the milestone move, which now makes him the top-ranked Test bowler from the West Indies.

The 22-year-old Trinidadian, who has enjoyed fairly good form since his return from injury, surpassed Barbadian seamer Kemar Roach, who slipped one place down to 18th, as his journey to fitness continues.

Spinners Jomel Warrican (52nd) and Gudakesh Motie (64th), both moved two spots up, while fast bowler Shamar Joseph also progressed 11 spots to 54th in other significant movements for the West Indies players in the bowling rankings.

South Africa’s Player of the Match Wiaan Mulder advanced 27 places to 65th position after finishing with six wickets, while off-spinner Dane Piedt is up nine places to 66th after claiming two West Indies wickets in the second innings of the match.

In the Test batting rankings, former West Indies captain Jason Holder is up seven places to 60th position following his unbeaten knock of 54 in the first innings. He is also up two places to fifth in the list of all-rounders.

South Africa opener Aiden Markram and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne have gained after notching half-centuries in the second innings. Markram inched up two places to 21st, while Verreynne has progressed from 62nd to 46th.

In the ICC World Test Championship, West Indies are last in the nine-team championship with 18.52 after nine matches, while South Africa are in fifth place with 38.89 percentage points after six matches.

India lead the table with 68.52 percentage points after nine matches, with Australia in second on 62.50 after 12 outings. New Zealand and Sri Lanka are the other teams ahead of South Africa.

Meanwhile, in the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, Scott Edwards of the Netherlands has moved up six places to 26th position after scores of 72 and 65 against Canada and the United States, respectively, in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2.

Aaron Jones of the United States (up 11 places to 56th) and Vikramjit Singh of the Netherlands (up nine places to 79th) are others to move up the batting rankings, while Aryan Dutt of the Netherlands is up five places to 33rd.

The squad features one significant change: Kemar Roach has been replaced by St. Kitts & Nevis’ fast bowler, Jeremiah Louis due to Roach's ongoing rehabilitation from a knee injury sustained during the County Championship in England.

Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes remarked, “Kemar’s skill and experience in English conditions will be missed. However, this opportunity has been long in the making for Jeremiah Louis, he certainly has the skill and experience to make an impact in England.”

The Richards Botham series, named after West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards and England great Lord Ian Botham, is a historic rivalry dating back to 1928 when the West Indies first toured England.

West Indies Test Squad:

1. Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
2. Alick Athanaze
3. Joshua Da Silva
4. Jason Holder
5. Kavem Hodge
6. Tevin Imlach
7. Alzarri Joseph (Vice-Captain)
8. Shamar Joseph
9. Mikyle Louis
10. Zachary McCaskie
11. Kirk McKenzie
12. Gudakesh Motie
13. Jeremiah Louis
14. Jayden Seales
15. Kevin Sinclair 

19-year-old fast bowler Isai Thorne will join the squad as a development player.

 Team Management Unit:

Head Coach: Andre Coley, Team Manager: Rawl Lewis, Assistant Coaches: Jimmy Adams, Rayon Griffith, Shaun Tait, Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis Byam, Strength & Conditioning Coach: Ronald Rogers, Team Masseuse: Fitzbert Alleyne, Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetram.

The squad have been in a training camp at Tonbridge School and will play a 3-day warm-up match against the England Lions at Beckenham starting on 4 July. 

Fixtures for England series:

Wednesday 3 July 2024       3-Day Warm-Up Match              Beckenham

Wednesday 10 July 2024      1st Test Match                            Lord’s 

Thursday 18 July 2024          2nd Test Match                          Trent Bridge

Friday 26 July 2024              3rd Test Match                           Edgbaston 

The squads have been confirmed by the Cricket West Indies Selection Panel, with 14 players named per squad and 11 players batting in each innings. Hamilton is humbled and eager to lead one of the squads, especially considering the importance of this contest to all involved.

“There’s going to be some quality. We have the best guys for red-ball cricket in the Caribbean here, so it is going to be a challenge,” he said.

“Also, this game is to select players for the Test team, so it is going to be a great showdown. I am in the captain’s role, so I just want to put my best foot forward and lead the team to victory."

Jermaine Blackwood was equally as elated and is adamant that the fans will be treated with a fine contest.

“The fans can expect great cricket over the next four days because we have some very competitive athletes here,” he said.

“We are ready to go play some exciting cricket starting tomorrow. We are a group of hungry players, who are ready to showcase our talent to the selectors and coaches. I am very honoured to be leading one of the teams. Fans can tune into the West Indies YouTube page to watch the game live.”

The match will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.

The links for each day’s live coverage are as follows:

Day 1: https://youtu.be/ZlxHDYMt9No

Day 2: https://youtu.be/kvniMRsupus

Day 3: https://youtu.be/ozr2t6KAwNo

Day 4: https://youtu.be/wpw0LPNg-gM

Meanwhile, four players who played in the recent series against Sri Lanka will be unavailable for the “Best v Best” match.

Jason Holder, the ICC’s Number 1 ranked Test all-rounder arrived in St. Lucia on May 28 and after going through the agreed quarantine protocols will begin training on June 1 once he has returned two negative PCR tests.

Test Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph are arriving in St Lucia later this coming week following their English County Championship commitments. They will join training after completing the quarantine protocols and once they respectively return two negative PCR tests each.

Blackwood’s team comprises Shai Hope, Darren Bravo, John Campbell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Keon Harding, Shannon Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Joshua Da Silva, Nail Smith, Oshane Thomas and Hayden Walsh Jr.

Hamilton’s team is Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Roston Chase, Kerron Cottoy, Chemar Holder, Obed McCoy, Preston McSween, Shayne Moseley, Paul Palmer, Kieron Powell, Raymon Reifer, Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican.

The match that will be officiated by umpires Joel Wilson, Gregory Brathwaite and Leslie Reifer Jr is set to begin at 9 am Jamaica time. 10 am AST.

Roach is returning home due to the death of his father, Andrew Smith, last week while Dowrich is said to be returning home for personal reasons. However, the duo are not the only concerns for the West Indies selectors.

Left-hander Shimron Hetmyer is still under concussion protocols following the blow to his head sustained in the second T20 International, while all-rounder Keemo Paul is still being treated for a groin injury.  They are both being closely monitored by the team's medical staff and decisions on their availability will be made at a later date.

As such, in addition to DaSilva being called up a replacement for Dowrich, middle-order batsman Nkrumah Bonner and left-arm fast bowler Preston McSween will remain with the squad as cover.

The second Test will be played at the historic Basin Reserve in Wellington, starting on Friday (Thursday 6pm Eastern Caribbean Time/5pm Jamaica Time). West Indies trail 0-1 after New Zealand won the first match by an innings and 134 runs.

Squad for the second Test:

Jason Holder (captain), Roston Chase (vice-captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua DaSilva, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Chemar Holder, Alzarri Joseph and Keemo Paul.

On standby: Nkrumah Bonner, Preston McSween

The allrounder who has 45 Test centuries and more than 13,000 runs to his name during an illustrious career was described as not being memorable by commentator David Brook. However, to one West Indies pace bowler, he is happy Kallis is now retired.

Kemar Roach one of the most potent of the West Indies bowlers of the modern era has proven to be more than a handful for some of the world’s best batsmen. His 193 Test wickets and 124 ODI wickets are a testament to a bowler who had it not been for long stretches of injury might have been among the top-five bowlers in the world today.

During a recent Instagram Live with Cricket West Indies, Roach revealed that Kallis is the most difficult batsmen he has ever bowled to.

“Hands down, I would have to say, Jacques Kallis. He was definitely one of the tougher ones for sure. He was very technical, very solid in his approach. He played it very easily, especially in the home series in 2010. He is probably the hardest batsman I have ever bowled to.”

Considered to one of the greatest allrounders of all time, Kallis retired in 2014, having scored 62 tons across all formats.

The 41-year-old Anderson, England's most successful bowler, having taken 700 Test wickets in 187 Tests during his illustrious career, recently announced that he will hang up his boots after the first Test against the West Indies.

Roach, who on Monday took 6 for 46 in Surrey's County Championship victory over Warwickshire, believes the West Indies seam attack is poised for success. With teammates Jayden Seales and Jason Holder also in fine form for Sussex and Worcestershire respectively, Roach is optimistic about their chances against England.

"It's a very highly talented and skillful group," Roach told ESPN Cricinfo commented at the Kia Oval. "We've not had the best of times over here in England, so it's more about focusing on us - not what they're going to do for him. He's going to get what he deserves. But it's all about us working hard to get what we deserve, which is a series win over here in England."

Reflecting on Anderson's imminent retirement after the Lord's Test, Roach acknowledged the English bowler's greatness while maintaining a competitive spirit. "He's a great fast bowler, probably one of the greatest," Roach remarked. "First Test match against us… hopefully, we ruin it," he added with a laugh.

Roach expressed confidence in the West Indies' current seam attack, highlighting the emergence of young talents like Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales alongside seasoned campaigner Alzarri Joseph. "With Shamar and Jayden Seales now - Alzarri as well - they have added a lot of X-factor to the bowling unit," Roach noted. "To have three guys like that in the team, a captain to have that to select, for any given day or any given surface [is great]."

Despite approaching his 36th birthday, Roach's recent performances demonstrate his enduring skill and experience. "I've spent the past two weeks working hard on my balance at the crease," Roach shared. "To have those great days... that's what you want," he added, emphasizing the team's readiness for the challenge ahead.

With the West Indies aiming for their first Test series win in England since 1988, Roach and his teammates are determined to put on a strong showing and create a memorable conclusion to Anderson's illustrious Test career.

Roach, 32, took 4 for 61 as Middlesex, chasing Surrey’s first innings score of 190, were bowled out for 160. Jordan Clarke took 4 for 41 for Surrey that helped Roach undermine the efforts of Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson, who top-scored with 68.

With a 30-run lead on first innings, Surrey scored 259 for 2 declared in their second innings thanks to Roy Burns’ unbeaten 104 and knocks of 74 from Mark Stoneman and 43 from Hashim Amla.

The sporting declaration was forced by weather conditions as the teams tried to force a result.

Set a target of 290, Middlesex reached 250 for 6 as the match ended in a draw.

Nick Gubbins made a game of it scoring 124 with Captain Peter Handscomb contributing 70.

 Roach, meanwhile, picked up 5 for 86 as Middlesex chased quick runs.

 It was his second five-wicket haul of his stint to go along with a 10-wicket haul.

His nine wickets against Middlesex increased his haul to 22 wickets at an average of 20.54 and an economy rate of 3.36.

Roach will now return to the Caribbean to prepare for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa next month having enjoyed his time in the United Kingdom.

“What can I say, My Surrey experience was amazing, nothing short of brilliant, but duty calls,” he posted on Instagram.

“I want to thank everyone at Surrey that made me feel at home, from the administration to the coaching staff and, of course, the players for allowing me to be a part of your family.

“I hope I left a good impression and you can have me back again in the near future. Good luck for the rest of the season.”

The most experienced member of the current West Indies bowling attack, the 31-year-old Barbadian is only seven wickets away having so far taken 193 wickets in 56 Tests but he is hungry for much more.

“The 200-mark is on my mind – it would be an honour to get into the 200 bracket on this tour. My focus is getting to the mark and maybe push on to over 250 and maybe 300. But the goal is to beat England. We want to win again and take back home the trophy,” he said during a media session on Sunday.

Roach was the Man-of-the-Series when the West Indies upset the heavily favoured England 2-1 during their Caribbean tour in early 2019. Roach took 18 wickets in three matches and said he is ready for a repeat performance when the first Test bowls off on July 8.

 “The 2019 series was great. We played really well especially that match in Barbados … that was one of the highlights especially in front of many of my fans and family. I rate that as number 1 in my career when it comes to (performances in a) series. We played great cricket but we have moved on … we were high on then but we’ve moved on to this series which is ahead of us,” Roach said.

Roach said the team is working hard to shake off the rust after an extended period of inactivity caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.

“We haven’t played for a while. Our last Test match was December last year against Afghanistan in India. We have been working very hard and we have games coming up to get our bodies tuned. I’m looking forward to it. The body is feeling quite well.”

However, he has asked for the public to be patient with the team’s batsmen, whom he believes will eventually deliver to their full potential.

Seales, 19, took eight wickets in the recently concluded first Betway Test against Pakistan at Sabina Park that the West Indies won by one wicket. During the Pakistan second innings, Seales took career-best figures of 5-55 and became the youngest West Indies bowler to take five wickets in an innings as the West Indies bowled the visitors for 203.

He and Roach then stitched together an unbroken 10^th wicket partnership of 17 to lead the West Indies to victory.

During a virtual press conference with the media on Monday, Roach said he believes Seales has a bright future.

“He has come into the family. I have the greatest hopes for him. He is a good student. He listens, he works really hard and he is learning every day,” Roach said, highlighting that Seales is yet another member of a talented group of bowlers that the West Indies have at its disposal.

“Obviously, with Shannon (Gabriel) back when he is ready, myself, Jason (Holder), him (Seales); Alzarri is there and there are a couple of other guys in the Caribbean, Chemar Holder, Keon Harding, Preston McSween; we have a really good corps fast bowlers coming through.

“So, I believe in any one of them at any point in time, once given the opportunity will get the job done. They just have to stay together, keep working hard, keep communicating and keep working on their skills. I don’t see no limit when it comes to our bowling attack challenging any Test line up so there is a great future for us in the fast bowling department for sure.”

With regards to the batsmen, especially those in the top order, Roach asked for patience.

“We don’t have a huge pool of batsmen in the Caribbean, so we have got to try and believe in these guys. They have the capabilities; we all know they do. It’s just about applying themselves and believing in themselves some more,” he said.

“I am totally behind them. We talk. As bowlers, we usually give them information about how best to handle situations from a bowling point of view. They work hard. One thing about this team is it’s a very hard-working team.

“It’s a lot of work being put in behind the scenes. I really feel for the batsmen because I know the work they do and it’s about time they get some returns so people can see it, but that time will come.”

In a match that lasted less than three days, the accomplishments of both players were overshadowed by the loss but were no less significant in the rich history of great performances by players from the West Indies.

The 34-year-old Roach had match figures of 1-71 and 5-47 during the match in which he picked up his 260^th Test wicket and became the fifth most successful West Indies bowler behind Courtney Walsh (519), Curtly Ambrose (405) Malcolm Marshall (376) and Lance Gibbs (305).

His five-wicket haul in the second innings that helped bowl South Africa out for 116, was the 11^th of his career that has so far lasted 76 matches since he made his debut against Bangladesh in July 2009.

Joshua Da Silva, meanwhile, playing in his 21^st Test, joined now retired West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs in a pantheon of five ‘keepers who have had seven dismissals in one innings. Other than Jacobs, the only other players to have accomplished the feat were Pakistan’s Wasim Bari, England’s Bob Taylor, and New Zealand’s Ian Smith.

Both players will get the chance to add to their records when the second Test between the West Indies and South Africa bowls off on Thursday, March 8 at Wanderers. The West Indies will be hoping to produce a better performance with the bat and level the series that South Africa now leads 1-0.

Roach began the match taking 2-40 in Hampshire’s first innings of 92 all out. However, it was Jordan Clarke who did the bulk of the damage taking 6-21. Lewis McManus top-scored with 31 for Hampshire in their innings that lasted just 34.3 overs.

The situation would only become even direr for Hampshire as 215 from Hashim Amla, 131 from Ollie Pope 131 and knocks of 80 and 78 from Jamie Smith and Roy Burns, respectively, propelled Surrey to 560 for 7 declared.

Roach then moved in for the kill.

Getting prodigious swing both ways, the Barbadian took three in eight balls towards the end of his first spell, two in seven in his second, and three in 13 in his third as Hampshire folded for 179 in their second turn at-bat. 

“It was going conventionally, not reversing," Roach said.

"The way I gripped the ball was a little looser today. It was overcast conditions so the ball was going to do something once you put it in the right areas and stayed strong at the crease. The guys worked incredibly well on the ball and the information I got on the field about different batsmen and their weaknesses worked fantastically."

Once again, McManus was Hampshire’s top scorer with 51.

Roach’s 10-80 was also a career-best for the veteran West Indies pace bowler.

In fact, Lara pointed out that a technical and tactical approach will be integral to West Indies chances, especially given the strength of England’s line up, coupled with their aggressive approach and home conditions at Lord’s, which they will relish.

With that in mind, Lara believes the best way to defend against the opponent’s strengths is to take an attacking approach in the field.

“I think more important is how the bowlers and the captain handle it in the field because we have to stay positive. We have to stay aggressive in terms of having attacking fields, having players in attacking positions, because the way they (England) bat, England are going to have you pushing players out on the boundary – which is what they want,” Lara said during a recent interview with Sky Sports.

“You push your deep cover back or your third man back, your deep backward square back, it creates opportunities for them to get singles – four, five singles an over is actually great scoring. We’ve got to be very technical and tactical in terms of how we approach this series,” he added.

Unlike England, who has upped their game in Test cricket to what has been labelled ‘Bazball’ under Head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, West Indies has been quite the opposite.

England’s alteration has resulted in them now playing an attractive brand of aggressive cricket, particularly with the bat.

West Indies, on the other hand, have been more traditional, and Lara is of the view that the regional side should remain on the same path, instead of attempt to adopt England’s style of play.

“I don’t think first of all, as a batting team, that (aggression) is our style, which actually is a little bit of a negative. If you’re going to come up against a side that’s scoring at five and six runs an over and you’re just going to score at 2.5, three runs an over, that in itself is asking for trouble,” Lara reasoned.

“England is playing a style of cricket that is difficult to beat them, coming from behind. We’ve got to get them out cheaply in the first innings to stay in front of the game. If you get behind England – with the pace they play the game at – it’s impossible to get back into the game,” he noted.

Despite the loss of Kemar Roach to a knee injury, Lara, 55, said he is more concerned about the batting.

“I’m not worried too much about Kemar Roach missing out or the bowling attack. I think the bowling attack is pretty formidable,” he declared.

“I think the batting is where the experience is lacking. They’re trying, the batters are trying, but it’s the fact that, how much experience have they had in English conditions. So I’m hoping we can pull through in that department,” Lara ended.

In a marathon innings lasting 257 balls, the 23-year-old da Silva scored 100 not out as the West Indies chasing England’s first innings score of 204, made 297 all out in the third and final Apex test in Grenada.

He was the sheet anchor in key partnerships of 33 with Kyle Mayers, 49 with Alzarri Joseph, 68 with Kemar Roach and 52 with Jayden Seales to help the West Indies recover from a precarious 95-6 into a position of ascendancy.

For Lara, it was a joy to watch.

“The discipline and mental strength this young man showed was admirable. The partnerships with the lower order to get us into this winning position is what Test cricket is all about,” said Lara, who is currently in India as the batting coach for IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The man who scored a mammoth 11953 runs from 131 Tests for the West Indies also lavished praise for da Silva’s teammates as well.

“It will be remiss of me not to congratulate all the batters and bowlers that fought throughout the series culminating into this on the brink of a series win against England. I salute the captain for his tenacity throughout the series with the bat and his leadership,” said the proud West Indies icon.

“To all players and staff, I commend you and at the same time urge you to continue working on having the appetite to go out there on the battlefield for all five days of a Test match giving your all each and every single time you don the burgundy cap. At the end, you will lose some, draw some and win a lot more but more importantly, you will understand what Test cricket is all about.”

At the time of publication, the West Indies were chasing 28 runs for victory after bowling England out for 120 on Sunday.

Kyle Mayers took a career-best  5-18, Kemar Roach 2-10 while there was a wicket each for Jayden Seales and Alzarri Joseph.

Test matches between these two rivals date back to 1928 when the West Indies made their first trip to England.  The Teams now compete for the Richards Botham Trophy, named in honour of West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards and England great Lord Ian Botham.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite will continue his leadership role, with fast bowler Alzarri Joseph again serving as Vice-Captain. The team is scheduled to arrive in England on 23 June for a training camp at Tonbridge School, ahead of a 4-day warm-up match at Beckingham commencing on the 4 July. 

CWI Lead Selector, the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond Haynes, expressed confidence in the squad's composition.

“The squad has been shaped with both experience and emerging talent, ensuring a strong balance as we face the challenge of playing in English conditions. Over the past year, our red-ball program has continued to develop. Following our victory in the last Test in Australia in January, it is evident that we are seeing the fruits of that investment. Each player selected has earned their place through consistent performances and hard work. We are confident that this blend of seasoned players and emerging faces will perform admirably against England.”

Young Fast Bowler Jayden Seales returns to the squad having missed the last Test Series against Australia due to injury and experienced all-rounder Jason Holder has earned a recall having made himself unavailable for the last tour. 

There is also a first international selection for 23-year-old opening batsman Mikyle Louis. 

Louis, a former West Indies U19 International, scored 682 runs in his debut First Class season for the Leeward Island Hurricanes at an average of 48.71. Should he debut for the West Indies in England, he will become the first Kittitian to wear the famous Maroon test cap.

The West Indies 15-member test squad is as follows:

1. Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
2. Alick Athanaze
3. Joshua Da Silva
4. Jason Holder
5. Kavem Hodge
6. Tevin Imlach
7. Alzarri Joseph (Vice-Captain)
8. Shamar Joseph
9. Mikyle Louis
10. Zachary McCaskie
11. Kirk McKenzie
12. Gudakesh Motie
13. Kemar Roach
14. Jayden Seales
15. Kevin Sinclair

These players will be supported by the following team management unit: 

• Head Coach - Andre Coley 
• Team Manager - Rawl Lewis 
• Assistant Coach - Jimmy Adams 
• Assistant Coach - Rayon Griffith
• Assistant Coach - Shaun Tait 
• Physiotherapist - Dr. Denis Byam
• Strength & Conditioning Coach - Ronald Rogers 
• Team Masseuse - Fitzbert Alleyne 
• Team Analyst - Avenesh Seetram  

West Indies' last test match was a resounding victory in Australia earlier this year. Since then, all selected players were involved in the West Indies Championship, which concluded in April and was won by the Guyana Harpy Eagles. 

19-year-old fast bowler, Isai Thorne will travel with the squad as a development player, following impressive performances in this debut First Class season taking 31 wickets at average 16.29 in his first eight matches.

The West Indies are the current holders of the Richards Botham Trophy following the 1-0 Home Test Series win in March 2022.