Root’s Pirates of Caribbean have no fear
A TOUR to the West Indies once filled England batsmen with dread and fear.
Now Joe Root (below) and the rest of his top order will have one thing on their mind in the Caribbean – filling their boots.
Between 1974 and 1990, England didn’t win a single match on West Indian soil.
Those 16 years of misery saw England’s batsmen accumulate almost as many broken bones and dented reputations as runs, as the West Indies ran riot.
As England prepare to fly to the Caribbean this week, those days are now a very distant memory.
The defection of Jofra Archer to England has been held up as an example of just how difficult life now is for the former world beaters.
Harder
The former West Indies Under-19 star looks set to play for England at some stage in 2019 and could yet star in this summer’s World Cup.
The world champions mpions of 1975 and 1979, meanwhile, had to qualify for this year’s tournament.
And Johnny Grave, the English CEO of West Indies s cricket, tells People e Sport that England’s ’s opponents have been en hit harder than any ny other in a modern era ra of freelance Twenty20 20 cricketers.
Grave said: “We have ave felt the effects more than anyone else in the world.
“We have been leading eading at ICC level in terms ms of trying to ensure that there’s a balance between tween the formats.
“We recognise the he role that Twenty20 has as in offering our players ayers fantastic earning ning opportunities. T20 0 has been great for cricket ket but it has created a number of challenges. Our younger players have realised that they can’t follow players who have played 100 Tests and then going around the world playing T20 only.
“If they only play T20 then they’re not going to develop the skills they need to be as successful as they want to be.”
Respect
He added: “There’s huge disappointment in Barbados (about Jofra).
“Everyone respects the fact that he has an English father but he still calls Barbados home. Everyone will be divided over whether he should play for England or the West Indies.”
England are now comfortably ahead of a West Indies side that has won only two of its past 15 Test series.
Grave, t hough, is predicting a rougher ride for this England side.
“In 2015, England turned up expecting to walk to a 3-0 win,” he said.
“We drew that series 1-1 and this is another chance for us to show how much t he Test s i de has improved.”