Woakes urges T20 side to hit the ground learning

After spending two weeks and playing three games with a young squad and minds on the distant target of a 50-over tournament scheduled for 2027, this is where the serious business starts for England. Six months out from a T20 World Cup in which, while co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, England are likely to play only in the Caribbean, the next five games represent a crucial chance to boost confidence in the format and knowledge of local conditions.

- Simon Burnton

"Naturally you want to win the series, of course you do," said Chris Woakes, one of five players not involved in the one-day internationals who are in England's squad for the T20s. "There's always an emphasis on the result but, at the same time, you want to prepare for what's ahead. So [the focus is] learnings as to conditions, and also performances sometimes rather than end results. The perfect idea is you do all of that and get the result as well." England's five fresh players Moeen Ali, Tymal Mills, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley and Woakes - boast a total of 241 T20 caps and a combined age of just under 168. This transfusion of experience reflects a very different approach to this series. West Indies have done similar, bringing in Jason Holder, Andre Russell, Nicholas Pooran and the T20 captain, Rovman Powell. Compared to this lot, the ODI series was literally child's play.