Cricket: WI, Eng seek fresh start

Antigua and Barbuda: West Indies and England face-off in the first Test of a three-match series on at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, with both sides involved in reconstruction and rehabilitation following a wretched few months. Facing the wrath of the Indian authorities following an unprecedented abandonment of the tour there last October and with several of their star players either overlooked by the selectors or unwilling to represent the regional team, there is considerable trepidation over the prospects of the West Indies in the opening fixture, notwithstanding the ground’s reputation as a batting paradise. Chris Gayle, who led the West Indies to an upset 1-0 triumph the last time the English played a Test series in the Caribbean in 2009, announced his unavailability for the assignment, although he is turning out for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the lucrative Twenty20 Indian Premier League. Dwayne Bravo, captain of the squad who walked out of the Indian campaign, appears to be paying the price for his role in that fiasco, although the official line from the selectors, headed by outstanding former captain Clive Lloyd, is that they are looking to younger players to try to take the team forward.