Essex batsman Dan Lawrence is set to get the chance to resume his Test career ahead of Ollie Pope in the West Indies.
Lawrence has been given the number four spot for England’s one and only warm up match against a CWI President’s XI that begins at the Coolidge ground in Antigua on Tuesday.
And with the first Test beginning the following week at the Sir Vivian Richards ground on the same island, it is highly likely that England will stick with broadly the same line up.
Alex Lees, as expected, will make his Test debut alongside Zak Crawley at the top of the order, with the experience of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow settled in at five and six.
But it is the return of 24-year-old Lawrence ahead of Pope that is the most eye-catching selection with skipper Joe Root and interim coach Paul Collingwood confident his style of play will suit the conditions.
Lawrence scored two fifties in Sri Lanka and India last winter on pitches that offered turn and it is possible conditions in Antigua might not be too far from the same.
It means that Jack Leach can expect to be called upon as England’s first choice spinner, and they have named just the one genuine spin option in a 12 man side for the four day warm up.
Craig Overton gets a run out after failing to get a game in Australia with Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson completing the frontline bowling attack.
England side to face CWI President’s XI
Lees, Crawley, Root (c), Lawrence, Stokes, Bairstow, Foakes (wk), Woakes, Overton, Wood, Robinson, Leach
