Beat the clock, vital planning for World Cup and chance for new generation to emerge… five big talking points as Jos Buttler’s England turn attention to T20

• Five-match T20 series against West Indies begins in Barbados on Tuesday
• England will seek to bounce back from ODI series defeat to West Indies
• Jos Buttler’s men will seek to fine tune their plans for World Cup defence

England’s five-match T20 international series against West Indies begins in Barbados on Tuesday.

Jos Buttler’s men will seek to bounce back from a first one-day international series defeat to the West Indies in 16 years on Sunday after the hosts clinched a four-wicket victory in a rain-affected Barbados decider. 

The sides then head to Grenada for games two and three later this week.

The final two games will be played in Trinidad and Tobago.

Here, Mail Sport’s Richard Gibson looks at five big talking points.

Jos Buttler’s England will seek to fine tune their plans for T20 World Cup defence

The stop clock

Opening match coincides with the ICC’s innovation to speed up the pace of play. 

On a five-month trial basis, all white-ball men’s internationals will see the imposition of a 60-second restriction on fielding teams between overs.

If a bowler and wicketkeeper are not ready to start a new over inside the magic minute, the third umpire will notify the on-field officials and a signal will be made. 

A third transgression in an innings will result in five runs being docked from the fielding side. And so on.

Vital planning for World Cup

For England, this is the business end of the tour. Yes, they were smarting after their 50-over World Cup failings, but by moving on to new personnel here, the one-day series was very much the start of a cycle.

In contrast, the next fortnight is something of a finishing school, just six months shy of the title defence back here by Jos Buttler’s team’s. 

England won the previous tournament held in the Caribbean by adapting to sluggish pitches and strong crosswinds, and good planning will be crucial once more.

Thinking big

The five matches played here in the Caribbean last year, between the only two teams to have been crowned 20-over world champions twice, featured a record 96 sixes.

Expect that to be surpassed this time given the firepower on display, particularly in the home ranks. 

Akeal Hosein, who crunched four of those rope clearances in an unbeaten 44 from 16 balls in one of those games, is likely to be No 11 this time around.

Miscast West Indies

Yes, they missed out on the 50-over World Cup, edged out by the Netherlands, yet the Windies are one of the favourites to take England’s T20 crown in 2024.

All of their Twenty20 franchise stars — including Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell and Jason Holder — are in town and this is the format in which they remain an elite international side, having added the series scalps of South Africa and India to that of England since early 2022.

England duo Will Jacks (above) and Phil Salt impressed in the one-day internationals

New generation

Having moved on from established players such as Jason Roy and Dawid Malan over the past 15 months, and with Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes absent, there is a chance for a fresh set of top-six players to emerge.

Will Jacks and Phil Salt struck the ball beautifully in the one-day internationals, and their selfless approach certainly fits the bill. 

Equally, Harry Brook can use a trip like this to replicate the consistency he has shown in Test cricket across limited-overs appearances.

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