Windies youngsters take centre stage

Windies youngsters will look to emulate Gayle

BBC Sport Online's Steve Beauchampe wonders who will make the West Indies a great side again.

The long period of West Indian Test domination has truly passed with the fast bowler conveyer broken, Brian Lara's ego out of control and batsmen sadly lacking that trademark Caribbean dash and swagger.

The message to young cricketers in the West Indies is that there are plenty of vacancies in the Test team right now.

Chris Gayle's awesome 259 in Zimbabwe and off-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine's 20 wicket haul against South Africa last spring has provided some hope.

Violent hitting

But what about those who have yet to break into Test cricket - or even feature in the first class game?

With the West Indies under-19 team currently touring England, there is a chance to assess the next generation of Caribbean cricketers.

Having taken the one-day series 2-1, the tourists went into this week's first Test at Leicester in buoyant mood.

It was a successful rubber for opening batsman, and vice-captain, Devon Smith, who scored two fifties and a century.

He took this form into the first Test with innings of 54 and 90, his runs coming through powerful, violent hitting, liberally peppered with boundaries.

West Indies tour manager Jeff Broomes said: "Devon top scored in our domestic under-19 competition last season.

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"He's a confident, thinking batsman with good shot selection, who is now demonstrating that he's got the skill and ability to announce himself on a world stage."

Strong off both the front and back foot, the left-handed Smith seemingly has the full complement of shots in his armoury.

Skippering the side is Jamaica-born Brenton Parchment, one of 12 players in the 16-strong squad to have appeared in first class cricket.

"He played in the last under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka and that experience helped secure him the captaincy," said Broomes.

"He plays very straight but hasn't scored too well yet on the tour, having developed a tendency to play too much away from his body.

"Nonetheless, he's retained his confidence and self-belief."

Guyana-born Narsingh Deonarine, a left hander and occasional off-break bowler has attracted attention and been compared with fellow countryman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

But 19-year-old Anguillan Omarie Banks is perhaps the most outstanding prospect.

We've given them the message that there are real opportunities at Test level right now

  Jeff Broomes

The only member of the squad with experience of English conditions, having played club cricket and also appeared for Leicestershire seconds, Banks has been slightly disappointing thus far, having yet to deliver the really big scores.

However, it is finding fast bowlers that is perhaps most exercising the minds of West Indian selectors.

Reared on hard pitches, and with an unimpeachable lineage of role models from Wes Hall to Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, young West Indian bowlers always want to be super-quick.

Heading the candidates on this tour are the Jamaican-born pair of Jermaine Lawson and Andrew Richardson.

"We've given them the message that there are real opportunities at Test level right now. Both have genuine pace," said Broomes.

"And Lawson in particular will make batsmen sit up and take notice.

"He's played for West Indies 'B' and his name was in the discussion for the recent tour of Zimbabwe."

Less pacey, but arguably more versatile, is left-armer Kenroy Peters, whose first innings hat-trick at Grace Road during figures of 6-40, would indicate a likening for English conditions.

Caribbean pride

Which augurs well for his future, because, as Broomes points out, Caribbean players who do well in England usually succeed at Test level.

So how will Broomes measure the tour's success?

"Not simply on results, though it's always easier to promote someone from a winning team," he said.

"We have five yardsticks: have you reduced your faults; how did you perform under pressure; your attitude - on and off the field; your level of discipline and your commitment to fitness."

For those who pass such tests, public expectation will be high, but the chance to help restore Caribbean pride is just as great.