As both teams prepare to square off in a three-Test series, The Cricketer assesses which available players would feature in a composite XI.
That England's top two no longer provides the subject of hostile debate tells you everything about the security the Surrey opener has brought to the position. Curiously, he has only batted once since November after injury cut short his tour of South Africa. Will want to use this summer to nail down his position and improve his conversation rate. Though already with two centuries in 15 Tests, on at least three other occasions three-figure scores have evaded him. That killer instinct needs to sharpen.
Unlike England's cohorts, Brathwaite and some of his peers have had the benefit of some first-class exposure in 2020 to play themselves into form. That is just as well, with Braithwaite currently on a run of 21 Test innings without surpassing 49. Prior to that run there was plenty to be excited about, in the form of eight centuries and 17 fifties. He enjoyed some decent form in the first warm-up game with 84 - evidence that working with legendary opener Desmond Haynes might be starting to pay dividends.
Give Chris Silverwood the opportunity to cheery-pick a player from the Windies roster and Hope would likely be among the main contenders. England will be shuffling nervously at the sight of Hope again, three years on from his heroic hundred in victory at Headingley. Though one of the best one-day batsmen on the planet, his Test form has not followed the same trajectory. He is without a century since that knock as he has danced up and down the order. But both teams know what he is capable of when pitches flatten out as they will at the start of the series.
WATCH! England v West Indies series preview with The Voice newspaper
Not available for the first Test as he attends the birth of his second child but there is no doubting the Yorkshireman's position in this XI. Emerged from a harrowing summer to guide England to a series win in South Africa - arguably his finest achievement as skipper. He might not be part of the conversation with the 'big three' of Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson but a mountainous double century in New Zealand last winter shows there is plenty still in the tank.
His title as Test cricket's best allrounder might be challenged in this series but there is no doubting Stokes' claim to the title of the sport's most prized possession. Skipper for the first of these three Tests, the Durham man must find the balance between leading the team, keeping his concentration with the bat and understanding when to bowl himself. Nevertheless, his ability to inspire the entire team around him with his performance provides a decent base from which to build his leadership career.
The 22-year-old's maiden Test century in Port Elizabeth was billed as the first of many - but now is time for Pope to provide substance to that prophecy. Mentally, there is little to suggest he will allow his talent to pass him by. Every metric available, from his twin double centuries in 2019 and his maiden ton in South Africa, to his poise at the crease says he will put the West Indies and others to the sword this summer.
Another Windies player with good memories of previous battles with England, having scored a century in Bridgetown in 2019. Dowrich is far from an assured stater with the gloves in this Test side, but he edges out Jos Buttler for his batting returns. The 28-year-old endured a woeful time on his last trip to England, breaking into double figures just once in four innings. A half-century while warming up at Emirates Old Trafford is a positive sign.
Fans of Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja may argue otherwise, but Jason Holder can currently claim to be Test cricket's No.1 allrounder - at least as far as the ICC rankings are concerned. Holder is brutal with bat and ball, with an ability to batter it to all part and tear apart line-ups. Watching him under overcast skies with the Dukes ball will be fascinating and as his double century against England in Bridgetown showed he is one of the most dangerous lower-order batsmen around.
Forget the cliche and clickbait for a moment: Raheem Cornwall is emerging as a seriously talented cricketer. At 27, there is little doubt the Antigua-native is a late bloomer in the international arena but he is making up for lost time. Ten wickets on just his second Test outing against Afghanistan suggests he is not to be underestimated. "They have always given me love and support for me to go out and perform," Cornwall, one of six siblings, says of his parents. Don't bet against him making another impression.
Though there plenty to like about Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel, it is tough to leave out one-half of one of the greatest seam bowling tandems in history. Broad might have a bit-part to play in this blink-and-you-miss-it series but he is one of England's great constants. Has reinvented himself in recent years and was utterly mesmerising in the Ashes last summer. The milestone of five hundred Test wickets, which at one stage looked ambitious, is now a mere formality.
When the Lancashire quick failed to complete a second Test match in six months, it would not have been ridiculous to venture that citings of him in England could be over. However, given time to fully recuperate, Anderson has been given another life. The 37-year-old is still the best red-ball swing bowler around but having only completed one Test since February 2019, questions remain over his durability. If he can last the summer, a 600th Test wicket is surely within his grasp.
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