England tour of the Caribbean 2015, April 13-May 5

[mikesiva]

England in West Indies 2014-15
April 13-17, 1st Test, Antigua
April 21-25, 2nd Test, Grenada
May 1-5, 3rd Test, Barbados

http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies ... 66917.html

So, back to Barbados and Antigua again?

Once again, no Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad for England....

[shankycricket]

Once again? Didn't they play at those 3 venues in 2009? Who can forget Jerome's spell at Jamaica in 2009? 5-12!

[mikesiva]

Once again? Didn't they play at those 3 venues in 2009? Who can forget Jerome's spell at Jamaica in 2009? 5-12!

That was five years ago...you seem to forget that England toured the Caribbean a few months ago for some ODIs and T20s, and they were all played at Antigua and Barbados.

The WICB wanted to schedule the Tests in Guyana, Jamaica and Grenada, but the Barmy Army and the ECB leant on the WICB to force them to move the Tests to Antigua and Barbados. It seems to me that in the future England will only play in Antigua and Barbados and only one other country, depending on what's scheduled....

[Gingerfinch]

Why is that, Mike?

[hopeforthebest]

Isn't Guyana the Manchester of the Caribbean when it comes to rain?

[mikesiva]

Why is that, Mike?

Antigua and Barbados are prime tourist resorts, with lots of white sand beaches. Jamaica's tourism is on the north coast in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, etc, while Sabina Park is in the capital, Kingston, on the south coast, and there are no white sand beaches in Kingston.

It seems to me that international cricket has become more and more about money, which is sad. Cue capitalistic English tour operators working with capitalistic tour operators in Antigua and Barbados to offer extortionate packages for Barmy Army folks planning to go to the Caribbean to watch cricket.

I'm disappointed, because I should be in Jamaica in April, and it now seems likely that England may never play at Sabina Park any time in the near or distant future....

[Gingerfinch]

Why is that, Mike?

Antigua and Barbados are prime tourist resorts, with lots of white sand beaches. Jamaica's tourism is on the north coast in Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, etc, while Sabina Park is in the capital, Kingston, on the south coast, and there are no white sand beaches in Kingston.

It seems to me that international cricket has become more and more about money, which is sad. Cue capitalistic English tour operators working with capitalistic tour operators in Antigua and Barbados to offer extortionate packages for Barmy Army folks planning to go to the Caribbean to watch cricket.

I'm disappointed, because I should be in Jamaica in April, and it now seems likely that England may never play at Sabina Park any time in the near or distant future....

Gotcha. I presumed there would be lots of tourism, somewhere close to Sabina Park.

[Aidan11]

Grenada will be hosting England for the first time in a test match.

[Arthur Crabtree]

When England were winning after 09, the away loss in WI was a big blot that the team was carrying around. Six (six!) years on England have gone a full circle and can't really make any assumptions about winning there. The slow pitches won't suit them.

I'm quite pleased about the venues, in a selfish way. I've had a long standing wish to see a Test in Georgetown. And I'm not in a position to go in the short term. So it sort of suits me that this is on the back burner for now.

[mikesiva]

Given the recent spate of West Indian retirements from Test cricket, four-day cricket, and "indefinite breaks" taken, this could end up being the Test team for the first Test....

1) Kraigg Brathwaite
2) Devon Smith
3) Darren Bravo
4) Marlon Samuels
5) Shiv Chanderpaul
6) Jermaine Blackwood/Leon Johnson
7) Denesh Ramdin
8) Jerome Taylor
9) Kemar Roach
10) Suleimann Benn
11) Shannon Gabriel

[shankycricket]

Wouldn't they prefer turning tracks against England and play 2 spinners?

And Devon Smith? Really?

[Arthur Crabtree]

I read the England squad would be announced next week.

I'm expecting England to name a full strength squad. They need some good news.

[Aidan11]

So do we.

[shankycricket]

This is a potential banana skin tour for England. If they win, it'll only be seen as fulfillment of a basic expectation as its "only West Indies". But if they lose, it may really set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Rashid to debut?

[mikesiva]

Wouldn't they prefer turning tracks against England and play 2 spinners?

And Devon Smith? Really?

Look at who's at the top of the run-scoring chart....

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... tournament

You see, it's all well and good to say, this player should be dropped, and that player should be dropped, but who are the players knocking on the door to be let in?

As for playing two spinners, Lloyd is the chairman of selectors, and he's not a huge fan of run-of-the-mill spinners....

Caribbean groundsmen can't change the pitches...they are as they are. When Otis Gibson demanded that the batsmen-friendly pitches be turned into pace-friendly pitches, the groundsmen instead gave him turning tracks!