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Jamaica: It is five years since a Wisden Trophy series in the Caribbean though England recently visited for the World Cup and Stanford Super Series, on each occasion standing out from the general embarrassment with their own brand of one-day ineptitude.
The 2003/4 contest was so spectacular - an emphatically one-sided victory for England with pace-fuelled Test wins by 10, seven and eight wickets, and Brian Lara's 400 - that it might have engaged even Sir Allen Stanford.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul has taken over from Lara as the middle-order left-hander that England just can't shift - across the 2004 and 2007 series he scored 883 runs at 98.11 - even if he does so in rather different fashion (fewer aesthetics, and no annexing entire Test matches for personal glorification).
Chris Gayle's 197 in Napier just before Christmas was his first Test century in almost four years but he savaged England in the Super Series and is never treated lightly. Ramnaresh Sarwan, still an irresistible shot-maker short of the potential he showed in England in 2000, is the only other long-term resident of the WI batting order.
Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Daren Powell were harnessed with fellow paceman Lionel Baker in Dunedin then left-arm slow bowler Sulieman Benn at McLean Park, and both are included in the home squad along with once-capped off-spinner Amit Jaggernauth. This sextet goes a long way to explaining England's healthy batting averages in recent head-to-heads.
Strauss has kept his selection cards close to his chest, telling reporters: "There are a couple of decisions I'm not 100 per cent sure of at the moment. The reality is that no one has performed badly. Certainly no one has played themselves out of the side, so in terms of selection it is a really tough one."
Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann both played in Mohali but at least one will make way on Wednesday. The off-spinner is a better all-round package and short-term bet but Panesar, like Bell, is considered an investment worth pursuing for the bigger challenges in 2009.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff is hopeful of being fit for England's first Test against West Indies at Sabina Park on Wednesday after missing the final warm-up match with a side strain.
The 31-year-old Lancashire player played a full part in a net session on Monday and said a final decision on his fitness would be made after Tuesday's practise session. "We will see how I rock up tomorrow," Flintoff was quoted as saying on Monday.
Last Five head to head
2007: 4th Test: England won by seven wickets at Chester-le-Street, Co. Durham.
2007: 3rd Test: England won by 60 runs at Old Trafford, Manchester.
2007: 2nd Test: England won by an innings & 283 runs at Headingley, Leeds.
2007: 1st Test: Match drawn at Lord's, London.
2004: 4th Test: England won by 10 wickets at The Oval, London.
| West Indies | England | |
| Captain | Chris Gayle | Andrew Strauss |
| ICC Ranking | 7 | 5 |
| Key Players | Chris Gayle, Chanderpaul, Powell, Edwards | Strauss, Pietersen, Sidebottom, Panesar |
| Drawing Broad | Jerome Taylor was 18 when he made his Test debut and is now developing into an impressive player. A maiden century against New Zealand showed he can become a classy No. 8, but it's with the ball that he holds a key. | Kevin Pietersen and his return to the ranks. The early signs have been very promising with runs in both warm-up matches and a clear desire to prove he is fully committed to the cause. |
| Weather | Heavy falls of rain are expected in places over extreme northeastern KwaZulu-Natal, eastern Mpumalanga, southeastern Limpopo and Swaziland. | |
| Pitch | Traditionally one of the fastest pitches in the Caribbean. | |
| Current Form | LDLDD | LLWLD (Recent last) |
| Head to head | Total 138, West Indies 52, England 41, Drawn 45 | |
