CRITICISM of West Indies by former England players has been “borderline disrespectful”, says West Indies Cricket chief executive Johnny Grave.
West Indies bowled England out for 77 before setting the tourists 628 to win the first Test in Barbados.

Ex-all-rounder Andrew Flintoff said the “world’s gone mad” after West Indies captain Jason Holder made 202 not out.
Former batsman Geoffrey Boycott described the hosts before the series as “very ordinary, average cricketers”.
West Indies are above only Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the International Cricket Council (ICC) rankings.

But Grave said negative comments about a side who look set to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series were “completely unwarranted”.
He told BBC Sport: “Criticism of our players and suggestions that they’re not world class is unfair.

“They are so dedicated. We’ve got 11 cricketers here and many more in the region who want to play Test cricket.”
England failed to take a wicket on day three as Holder and Shane Dowrich, who scored an unbeaten 116, helped West Indies declare on 415-6.
England turned down a first-class warm-up match

England, third in the ICC rankings, have won only one series in the Caribbean in the past 51 years.
They lost 1-0 in 2009 after being bowled out for 51 in the first Test and drew 1-1 on their most recent tour in 2015, against a side described as “mediocre” by England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Colin Graves.

Before this series, England chose not to play a first-class match. Instead they drew two two-day games against a West Indies Cricket President’s XI in which players were allowed to bat twice in an innings. (BBC Sport)