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England keen to avenge recent series loss to the Windies

LONDON: England cricket will attempt to avenge its recent series defeat to the West Indies on Wednesday at Lord’s, but the two-Test series is in danger of being eclipsed by the Indian Premier League and the host nation’s looming confrontation with Australia.

Where once the arrival of the West Indies would send a tremor of fear around every dressing room in England, there is now a feeling that Chris Gayle’s side is simply a warm-up act.

This at least was the opinion of English fast bowler Stuart Broad, who opted out of the IPL in favour of the superior preparation he felt the West Indies would offer.

“The Ashes is a major reason that I didn’t go to the IPL and a major reason why anyone plays for their country,” he told The Independent newspaper. “You can make history. People have a passion for the Ashes and I think to the nation it’s the most important thing in the cricketing world.

“It’s the pinnacle. Beating the West Indies at home is brilliant but beating Australia gives massive national pride.”

The attraction of the IPL proved stronger, though, for Gayle. The West Indies captain arrived in Britain just 48 hours before the start of Wednesday’s Test, so that he could play an extra game with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

It was a situation described by his coach John Dyson as “not ideal.”

Yet at least Gayle was playing cricket. Of the English contingent at the IPL, Paul Collingwood was only used as a substitute fielder, Kevin Pietersen was erratic and Andrew Flintoff aggravated an injury, ruling him out of the West Indies series — though the British media’s fixation with the Ashes ensured the headlines all concerned his readiness to face Australia.

Only Ravi Bopara returned from South Africa with his reputation enhanced, though even he admitted he hadn’t expected to be selected for Wednesday’s Test.

It’s also true that the West Indies’ preparation for the series has been far from perfect. But despite a 10-wicket loss to the England Lions, Dyson was keen to remind his host of recent results.

The key problem for the West Indies will be how it deals with English conditions, which should help the bowlers who toiled so fruitlessly in the Caribbean earlier this year.

Only 12,000 tickets have been sold for the opening day at Lord’s, a venue that can hold double that number.

The teams (from):

England: Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss (capt.), Ravi Bopara, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Matt Prior, Stuart Board, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.

West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt.), Denesh Ramdin, Lionel Baker, Sulieman Benn, David Bernard, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Fidel Edwards, Brendan Nash, Nelon Pascal, Dale Richards, Andrew Richardson, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Jerome Taylor.

Umpires: Steve Davis (Australia), Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka). — AP

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