Saqib Mahmood gets Test chance as England look to attack West Indies

There has been a crackle of excitement in Barbados this week, augmented by the news that Saqib Mahmood will make a highly anticipated debut for the visitors when the second Test against West Indies gets under way on Wednesday.

England have travelled here more than anywhere else in the Caribbean over the past 20 years, enjoying its white-powdered beaches and easygoing vibe, and with 10,000 tourists on the island – plus the lifting of restrictions allowing a full house at Kensington Oval – Joe Root’s side should feel very lucky to be here.

Not that all this helped three years ago when Jason Holder’s double century, a stirring display of fast bowling led by Kemar Roach and Roston Chase’s transmogrification into Lance Gibbs whipped the outnumbered locals in the Greenidge and Haynes Stand into a frenzy with a 381-run win from which a 2-1 series victory followed.

Both sides were beaten by the pitch in Antigua last week and remain at 0-0. But here, having placed his hand on a bare surface in the search for clues, Root wondered whether more carry is likely and perhaps more deterioration.

Jack Leach will note that this is where Jomel Warrican picks up wickets at 25 runs apiece for Barbados, even if his fellow left-armer, Veerasammy Permaul, is the incumbent West Indies spinner.

West Indies (possible): Brathwaite (c), Campbell, Brooks, Bonner, Blackwood, Holder, Da Silva (wk), Joseph, Roach, Permaul, Permaul, Seales 

England: Lees, Crawley, Root (c), Lawrence, Stokes, Bairstow, Foakes (wk), Woakes, Overton, Leach, Mahmood 

England have espoused a new era dawning on tour but with one win in their last 15 Tests, a change in the narrative still hinges on positive results not just positive declarations. The path to 20 wickets is