Manchester [UK], June 14 (ANI): West Indies coach Phil Simmons has said that playing against England behind closed doors can prove as an advantage to his side because there will be no home support for the hosts.

His remark comes as West Indies and England get ready to lock horns in three-Test series, beginning July 8. This series will mark the return of international cricket as all series was suspended since March due to coronavirus.

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"I don't know if it will increase our chances because both teams are under the same umbrella - for want of a better word. The nice part for us is that 20,000 Englishmen raving for England, and that crowd support, it's not there for them. So that in a way will help us, so it's good from that point of view," ESPNCricinfo quoted Simmons as saying.

"It's a plus, because England hasn't come from a tour recently, and we've just been playing cricket at home. Because in a normal situation we would have been coming from camps and England would have been halfway through their season and the series would have been going on right now. So I think that is a plus for us, because it evens out things a little bit, with the fact they haven't been playing competitive cricket for a while also," he added.

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West Indies would be looking to retain the Wisden Trophy against England as the last time these teams clashed, Windies managed to win the series 2-1.

For the series against England, Darren Bravo, Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul refused to tour the country, citing safety concerns.

"I think we have the best squad we can have. Unfortunately a few guys decided not to come but we are here with the best squad that we can have here. And from the way we've started our work, the guys have been putting in, I think we'll be ready and looking to defend our trophy," Simmons said.

"Even with everything around and having to be conscious of the whole situation and the way the world is now, we still have to be mindful that we are preparing for a Test series against one of the top Test nations in the world. So we still have to put everything in place and do everything correctly," he added.

The proposed dates for three Tests between England and West Indies are:

First Test: July 8-12 at Ageas BowlSecond Test: July 16-20 at Emirates Old TraffordThird Test: July 24-28 at Emirates Old Trafford

The West Indies squad will live, train and play in a 'bio-secure' environment during the seven weeks of the tour, as part of the comprehensive medical and operations plans to ensure player and staff safety.

The bio-secure protocols will restrict movement in and out of the venues. So the selection panel has also named a list of reserve players, who will travel to train and help prepare the Test squad and ensure replacements are available in case of any injury.

The ICC has also confirmed interim changes to its playing regulations, which include the ban of saliva to shine the ball and allowing replacement of players displaying symptoms of COVID-19 during a Test match.

Also, the requirement to appoint neutral match officials will be temporarily removed from the playing conditions for all international formats owing to the current logistical challenges with international travel. (ANI)

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