Strauss wants to begin on front foot

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Strauss, 31, is excited about a new era for England as they begin their first assignment of an Ashes year - the four-match Test series against West Indies, which opens at Sabina Park on Wednesday.

England are currently fifth in the Test rankings and Strauss said: "Generally we like to think we are a young team. We have got quite a few young players but they're getting more and more experience now. If we want to rise to the top of the world, those consistent performances have to come from numbers one to 11."

He added: "You can't just rely on a KP going out and getting eight hundreds a year, all that sort of stuff, it has to come from different people.

"We have to push each other forward and this tour is a good starting point for that."

Strauss, who oversaw England's 3-0 victory over Pakistan in 2006 in a temporary capacity, should have a full squad to pick from, with key all-rounder Andrew Flintoff expected to be fit following a side strain.

Strauss' opposite number Chris Gayle, meanwhile, remains unconvinced about the use of technology in this match, having experienced it during the recent tour of New Zealand.

The four-Test series is part of the International Cricket Council's ongoing experiment and thus allows a referral system for challenging umpiring decisions.

Gayle said: "I wasn't keen on it but it worked out in both teams' favour.

"One of my concerns with it, though, is that the umpires might not want to give a decision and wait for players to refer it."