England tour should feature ‘Generation Next’

20130421cozierThings haven’t gone to plan for either the West Indies or England as they prepare to contest the strange combination of three ODIs in Antigua and three Twenty20s in Barbados February 28 to March 15.

One way or another, their soul-destroying tour of Australia has taken a heavy toll on England. Missing from the squad for the West Indies are five of the stalwarts who carried them, if briefly, to the top of the ICC’s Test charts and near the top in ODIs just over a year ago. Their places have been taken by younger, rising stars.

The West Indies have three prominent players on their absentee list; others with once settled places have been worryingly out of sorts in the regional Nagico Super50, presently into its final week in Trinidad. Another was withdrawn from the tournament by his