A new name on the team sheet extracts a buzz even from the most weathered supporter.

And that’s doubly the case when that debutant is a quick. Whereas for batters judgement is usually reserved for when they have a few scores (or lack thereof) under their belt, with seamers, sometimes you feel that you can judge their potential worth within their first spell as a Test cricketer.

What’s he clocking on the speed gun? Is he moving it much? How’s his control? These are the questions exchanged by spectators in the ground without access to the micro-analysis usually served up within an instant on TV.

The 8,000-strong English contingent in Barbados were served a double dose of such excitement, with a combination of injury and illness to more senior members of the touring group handing debuts to Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher. Two young-ish bowlers from big counties around whom hype has been building for at least half a decade in each case.

When factoring in all of England’s absentees, the pair are possibly England’s 10th and 11th choice quicks. James Anderson and Stuart Broad are obviously not around. Olly Stone, Jofra Archer and Sam Curran were all out injured before the series while Mark Wood, Craig Overton and Ollie Robinson were all unavailable for selection for the Barbados Test either through illness or injury. Chris Woakes, at 33 and with 44 Tests under his belt, is the ninth seemingly ahead of the pair going into the series.

Considering how low down they are in the pecking order, the pitch, which Kemar Roach criticised after the second day’s play, and their lack of first-class experience – these are their 26th and 22nd first-class games respectively and between them, they have played just three such games outside of England in their whole careers – attempting to arrive at a prompt judgement, had they bowled poorly, would be harsh.

Not only are they short on experience on these kind of pitches, but they are short on red-ball experience full stop.

So what does it say when the pair, short on experience and miles down the pecking order out-bowl, or at worst look indistinguishable from the supposed attack leader in Woakes? An attack leader who was entrusted with just 13 of the first 100 overs in the West Indies innings, who created fewer chances and went for more runs than the two rookies.

There is a real will among even those who don’t know him well for Woakes to succeed. He is immensely likeable and more often than not dependable. The will among those who have shared a dressing room with him for the best part of a decade must be on an another level altogether.

When a stray advertising hoarding blew onto the field at one point in the afternoon, it was no surprise to see Woakes be the one rushing to carry it off the field. Selfless, supportive and reliable are three of the first words to come to mind when describing the Warwickshire all-rounder. Unlike some of his teammates, he has never come close to complaining about his treatment over the years, often dropping in and out of the side even in home Tests where is all-round record is genuinely world-class.

Watching Woakes bowl at the end of the day under the evening sun was actually quite sad. Devoid of his usual energy, kicking the dirt in frustration as a rare edge evaded the cordon, surely in the knowledge that he is running out of opportunities to be England’s attack leader in all conditions in a post-Broaderson world, a prospect that has dangled in front of him for over half of his professional career.

The bottom line is that his average away from ranks among the worst in history. Of bowlers to deliver more than 3,000 balls in away Tests, only Carl Hooper – predominantly a batter – and Harry Cave – a man who only once tasted victory in Test cricket with New Zealand in the 1950s – average more. If England really are looking to the future, as sad as it may be, it is probably time for England to move on away from home.

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