Jason Holder’s men left with thanks for tolerating the bubble and Joe Root’s squad is unchanged for next week’s first Test
The West Indies squad are already home. It is not so hard to understand their eagerness to get back there to breathe some warm fresh air, to walk where they want, to reunite with
Friends and to experience some sort of normality again. They return defeated but with heads held high and heartfelt words of gratitude ringing in their ears – from the ECB, the
England players and the incredibly small group of others that crossed their path during their seven weeks bubbled-up in Manchester and Botley.
Not many captains or coaches have their reputations enhanced after losing a series 2-1 but this is this case with Jason Holder and Phil Simmons. West Indies have a poor recent record against the major nations and a surprisingly bad one in this country since they have not won a series here since 1988. They are ranked eighth in the ICC’s Test table, so it was no surprise that England should beat them. Yet we had to wait until the last day of the series for confirmation of the result.