Reverting to type

"England in unchanged squad shock". It is an announcement that hardly seems worthy of the sweat and toil - and the cliffhanging 24-hour delay - that has preceded it. But, in renewing their faith in the original 15-man party which set off for Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in October, England's selectors are merely carrying on that most modern of traditions - backing their men to the hilt.

On the one hand, it is an admirable policy. By identifying their favoured players and sticking with them through thick and thin, England have lately avoided those desperate situations of old, whereby players were plucked on a whim and discarded equally bluntly. But the effect is somewhat spoiled when coupled with the sort of procrastination that has accompanied today's announcement.

Image is everything to this current England regime. But the image they have put across in the last 24 hours is not of a team that knows where it is coming from and where it is bound, but of a disjointed rabble who have gone scurrying back to their original hunches for want of any genuine inspiration. When you think that this squad announcement had originally been scheduled for last month, it seems extraordinary that England could have leant anything new by choosing to postpone it for a further 24 hours.

In fairness, it has not been the easiest month for the selectors. David Graveney has taken empathy with his bowlers a step too far, by damaging both his own knees in an accident at home, while the Christmas break has caused no end of logistical problems, with the four selectors spread over three continents. Nevertheless, the feeling persists that England have missed a trick in their selection.

There can be few quibbles about the batsmen, despite their less than convincing run of performances in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Once Nasser Hussain had confirmed his availability, and Graham Thorpe had put his latest domestic spat behind him, both men were shoo-ins - along with Mark Butcher, they are England's only veterans of the last Caribbean tour in 1997-98. Paul Collingwood has done enough in his brief outings to confirm his readiness for higher honours, although it is a shame that no room could be made for Andrew Strauss, who offers a different type of solidity to a line-up that currently alternates between explosive and attritional, with not a lot in between.

But as we knew all along, it is England's seam-bowling department that has caused all the selection problems. Judging by the men who have made the cut, the dilemmas do not end here. Steve Harmison's return must be cautiously welcomed, even if the whispers about his attitude that followed his exit from the Bangladesh tour cannot be entirely discounted. But with Andrew Flintoff carrying a groin injury that will have to limit his workload, and Simon Jones an unknown quantity, James Anderson and Matthew Hoggard are sure to be thrust right back into the spotlight. Neither man, however, is currently flushed with confidence, while Hoggard in particular will not enjoy the challenge posed by the West Indian cavalcade of left-handers. In the circumstances, it is a pity that Martin Bicknell could not have been entrusted with the elder-statesman's role that this attack so clearly lacks in the post-Caddick-and-Gough era.

The modern-day West Indian pitch is not the polished-glass paradise of old, which means that Ashley Giles's nagging accuracy is sure to have a major role to play in the course of the four Tests. Gareth Batty, on the other hand, will be extremely grateful for Robert Croft's hasty retirement last week. His retention is due reward for a plucky debut tour, in which he showed all the right attitude, but not quite the aptitude.

The series is there for the taking, if Bob Willis's assessment is to be believed. Speaking on Sky Sports after the squad was announced, he described the West Indian bowling as "deplorable", adding that "there shouldn't be any problems for the England batsmen". The problems will arise, however, if England's chosen bowlers are unable to unsettle the likes of Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul. By travelling as favourites, England are nicely set up for a fall.