English cricket may have been in turmoil over the past month, but out in the Caribbean the game is at a low point on and off the field. That is the ve

West Indian people are hopeful rather than expectant that their national side can do well against England in the Test series that starts next week.
The sad truth is that the team has not played good cricket for some time and I doubt whether anyone would say that the squad selected for the first Test at Sabina Park is a strong one.
So as long as the selectors keep faith with the nucleus of the side - people like Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jerome Taylor - there will not be too many dissenting voices because there is not much to debate.
The quality of those borderline players who have won selection this time around and those who have not quite made the grade is so similar that there are unlikely to be recriminations.
Gayle's side should go into the series with a simple aim, namely to perform consistently against a side that is above them in the ICC rankings.
I expect England to win but if, as I anticipate, the home side win a Test along the way it will be a good fillip not only for the team but the West Indies as a region.