AS FAR as I remember, nearly 23 years have passed since I last played a Test in the West Indies. Despite the hint of vagueness at the start of that first sentence, I can tell you that my memories of cricket in the 1980s in the Caribbean are as vivid now as the action was then.

If a movie were to be made about that era — and as I write, I can reveal that there is a big-screen-style documentary in production — the ideal title would be High Anxiety. And it does not matter if you want to refer back to the Mel Brooks spoof or the original Hitchcock thrillers that inspired it; there was more than enough nerve-shredding drama and plenty of gallows humour in visiting dressing rooms.

As a batsman, the names that remain etched on my mind are those of the fast bowlers: Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Patrick Patterson and more besides. They were as quick as any in history and accurate to boot.

The bad news on top of that was there always seemed to be four of them and therefore very little respite apart from the odd few overs from Roger Harper or Viv Richards — and even he bowled bouncers from his three-pace run-up.

The good news was that they could fit only four of them in any given team. There were always some good quick men in reserve who would have walked into many other Test teams.

As a captain, one knew there was a formidable list of great batsmen to plan for too: Richards, Clive Lloyd, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes . . . again the list goes on. And they had a mercurial keeper in Jeffrey Dujon who was mighty handy with the bat.

I always count myself a little unlucky to have captained — maybe a loose term — England against West Indies through two full five-match series, against Lloyd in 1984 at home and in the Caribbean against Richards in 1986. My 100% record against West Indies (played 10, lost 10) is hardly a proud possession but it highlights for me how invincible that team was.

Even if there was the occasional moment when we thought we had a chance — maybe we had bowled them out for a relatively low score — the strength in depth of both parts of their game meant they would invariably fight back, and a five-wicket haul for Marshall or any of those fearsome quicks would redress the balance as promptly as you like. He even did it once at Headingley with one hand (unfortunately for us, the non-bowling hand) in plaster. That is taking the proverbial!

Playing in the West Indies in those days, one had to endure the test of “pace like fire”, one of the catchphrases of the time, while attempting to appreciate the vibrant atmosphere of the grounds and the unquenchable enthusiasm of the fans. The only thing those fans missed all too often was a contest; matches tended to be one-sided.

But they seldom had to cope with defeat. There was a lot of cricketing nous in those stands, whether we talk about the more privileged members at the Kensington Oval in Barbados; those in the cheap seats in the shed on the harbour side of the ground, who were at least graced by “royalty” when King Dial took his place there in one of his many bright suits; or those who danced the day away to Chicky’s Disco in Antigua.

Nowadays the fire of West Indies cricket, on the field and in the stands, has been quenched. There are still fireworks to be seen from Chris Gayle’s bat, and once again there is some pace in the attack, but it does not come with the quality stamp of the 1980s. There is not the same depth to the West Indian game at large or to the Test team. Good management appears to be in short supply, and the support is wavering. I will watch with interest how many spectators this coming series attracts and the ratio between locals and visitors.

With Gayle and especially Shivnarine Chanderpaul, West Indies have at least managed to raise their game enough to become competitive again. Chanderpaul does what Larry Gomes used to do for the old sides, only better, occupying the crease for hours. But he plays in a side that still do not trust themselves to win. Rather than the good old days, when victory could be conjured out of nothing, now it is often defeat that can be conjured from promising positions. England will be hoping that trend continues over the next few months away and at home.

Andrew Strauss will not be underestimating his opponents, especially after the Stanford experience of the autumn, but should be able to back his team to come out on top.

Whatever the result, I suspect he will find some of the fun has gone out of touring the Caribbean. Modern tours are shorter and more to the point, so there are fewer excursions to the smaller islands — England have done that bit with the opening matches in St Kitts.

Although the Kensington Oval has been improved and is now a fine stadium, still with character, the new grounds that were developed for the World Cup in 2007 are devoid of soul and are only tenuously linked to the communities they serve.

That was not quite what the region needed to rekindle the spirit of West Indies cricket.