Phil Simmons would have known what to expect when he took over two weeks ago as the latest West Indies head coach. West Indian himself, Simmons witnessed the game's decline in the region of his birth from afar while coaching Ireland over eight fruitful years; he may have had mixed feelings when the Irish defeated the West Indies in their first match in the recent World Cup but it was a learning experience as he prepared to shift addresses.


Jason Holder celebrates his century on Day Five on the first Test against England in Antigua on Friday. Pic:AP/PTI 

As the West Indies repeatedly faltered on his first four days in charge of the West Indies for the first Test against England, his impressions gained from reading, and watching, would have been confirmed. Before the decisive fifth and final day, Simmons said: "We will learn more about the team tomorrow." What he did learn was what chief selector Clive Lloyd had foreseen when he and his panel chose Jason Holder as the youngest of all West Indies captains for the tough campaigns in South Africa and the subsequent World Cup in ODIs in Australia and New Zealand.