West Indies pacer Kemar Roach confident of tormenting England

Kemar Roach

West Indies' experienced pacer Kemar Roach reckons his side will give a good account of itself in the three-match Test series against England starting at Southampton on Wednesday.

England will be led by mercurial all-rounder Ben Stokes as their regular captain Joe Root is with his wife, who is expecting the couple's second child.

"Obviously, Joe is a quality player so it's hard to fill those big shoes," Roach told mid-day during an online interaction on Sunday. Essex's Dan Lawrence has a chance to take Root's place in the batting order.

"I am sure we want to bowl in the right areas. I am sure we can come on top in this series. I am confident," Roach remarked.

When asked about playing in front of empty stands due to the COVID-19 situation, Roach, 32, who has 193 Test wickets in 56 matches, said: "It's going to be a challenge for sure. This is the first time I've come to England to find no crowd support, no noise, no Barmy Army. It's going to be weird. But I am sure they [administrators] will find some way to keep it interesting, keep it a little bit noisy," added Roach.

Wednesday's Test at Southampton will be the first international cricket game since Coronavirus halted the sport in March. West Indies have not won a Test series in England after their 4-0 triumph in 1988, but the men from the Caribbean clinched the home series 2-1 last year. The forthcoming series will be aired live on Sony Six.

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