England with plenty to prove in West Indies
West Indies vs England, first Test
Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, West Indies
8-12 March, 10:00 AM local time
The two teams currently occupy the bottom two places on the WTC standings, with the West Indies eighth and England one rung below following a disappointing Ashes series in Australia.
Kraigg Brathwaite's side most recently featured in Sri Lanka towards the end of last year, where they were comprehensively swept aside 2-0 in the two-match series in Galle.
England didn't fare much better in Australia, with Joe Root's side thrashed 4-0 by a rampant Australian team that dominated with both bat and ball.
Selectors reacted swiftly to that defeat as they left experienced seamers James Anderson and Stuart Broad at home for the tour of the Caribbean, while fellow quick Ollie Robinson has succumbed to a shoulder injury and won't be fit for this Test.
The two teams will battle it out for the newly-created Richards-Botham trophy, named after West Indies great Sir Vivian Richards and England star Sir Ian Botham.
Shane Watson throws support behind English duo | The ICC Review
Remember the last time
Veteran quick Stuart Broad picked up 10 wickets for the match as England won by a whopping 269 runs in Manchester to ensure they registered a 2-1 series triumph over the West Indies in 2020.
Broad was named Player of the Series for his 18 wickets during the three Tests, while all-rounder Ben Stokes topped the run-scoring charts with 363 runs at an average of 90.
West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite managed two half-centuries during that series, while experienced all-rounder Jason Holder picked up 10 wickets.
What they said
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite: "We’re really excited and ready for the upcoming Test Series against England. This is going to be an amazing three weeks of cricket. It’s extra special too that we’re playing for the new Richards-Botham trophy, a fitting tribute to these two great men. We want to be the first team to get our hands on it and celebrate with our fans."
England captain Joe Root: "I'm very grateful to get the opportunity - and hopefully this can be a real start of change in our performances. It's a real chance to start getting back to where we need to be, which is one of the leading teams in Test cricket."
West Indies squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Veerasammy Permaul, Anderson Phillip, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales
England squad: Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
England Men's Test Tour of the Caribbean
First Test: March 8-12 in Antigua
Second Test: March 16-20 in Barbados
Third Test: March 24-28 in Grenada