West Indies vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite has been quick to dismiss assertions the team will have a significant advantage with three key bowlers missing from the England line-up.

Pace bowlers Jofra Archer, James Anderson, and Mark Wood are missing from the England team for the second Test, which could be seen to leave the hosts short on firepower.  While Anderson and Wood have been rested with a long summer of Test cricket ahead, Archer has been omitted after breaking the protocol by leaving the series’ bio-secure environment.

Even without the trio, however, Brathwaite believes England has plenty of bowling options to remain dangerous.

“I wouldn’t say we have an advantage, they still have plenty of world-class players.  There is still Broad, Curran, and Woakes, these guys do well, so it will still be challenging,” Brathwaite told members of the media via a Zoom press conference on Thursday.

“I think it will be very challenging because they are all still world-class players,” he added.

In addition to the above-mentioned bowlers, England will also still have the service of all-rounder Ben Stokes with the ball.  Stokes claimed 6 wickets for England in the first Test, which ended in a four-wicket win for the West Indies.  Broad was omitted from the line-up for the first Test.