England's football-mad cricketers enjoyed a kickabout on Monday despite concerns about the potential for injury just days before the start of a sensational 12 months featuring the World Cup and an Ashes series.
Captain Joe Root, all-rounder Ben Stokes and paceman Stuart Broad were among the players who took part in the game at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
The England squad have been given the go-ahead to keep playing their favourite warm-up activity despite Jonny Bairstow missing the first two Test matches in Sri Lanka last November after suffering an ankle injury playing football.
Stuart Broad (left) avoids a challenge from Ben Stokes (right) in a football warm up match
Moeen Ali was keen to practise his bowling on his return to the scene of the worst bowling performance of his England career.
The West Indies turned England over inside three days on their last visit to the Kensington Oval in 2015, securing an unexpected 1-1 draw along the way.
Moeen reflects unhappily on his own contribution to that match, a first day half-century offset by the ineffectiveness of his off-spin. Moeen leaked runs in both innings, took modest figures of two for 110 and failed to apply pressure in what should have been a nervy fourth-innings chase.
England's football-mad cricketers enjoyed a kickabout at Kensington Oval on Monday
'I've bowled poorly a lot of times but that was probably the worst I ever bowled in an England shirt and I want to put that right,' he said.
'I'd just come back from injury, I was straight back into the side after the World Cup and I was the only spinner. I just bowled...bad.'
Moeen might easily have missed the tour entirely, having been left out of the original squad due to an abdominal complaint. Instead he was flown out for the final two Tests and appeared light on form, confidence or both.
Fast forward four years and his build-up to Wednesday's first Test could not be more different. He played a
