Bairstow will be on stage first after '˜waiting in the wings'

Jonny Bairstow will open the batting with Alex Hales at Old Trafford in the first ODI of the series against the West Indies (Picture: Paul Harding/PA Wire).

Jason Roy will therefore not regain the position he lost to Bairstow in England’s Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to Pakistan in Cardiff three months ago.

Roy paid then for his loss of form over a protracted period, and after the Surrey batsman’s golden duck against the West Indies in Saturday’s one-off Twenty20 match at Chester-le-Street on his return to England colours, captain Eoin Morgan has confirmed Bairstow instead will open in Manchester.

”Jonny is going to open with Alex Hales,” said Morgan.

“We feel Jonny deserves a chance. He’s been waiting in the wings for quite a while now.

“This is an opportunity to make the opening position his.”

Bairstow has long been one of England’s most reliable batsmen across the formats, and marked his latest return to the ODI arena with 43 at the top of the order as the hosts nonetheless bowed out of their own tournament when they lost by eight wickets to Pakistan.

As Morgan contemplated their prospects in the five-match series set to get under way at Old Trafford, he spelled out that the tourists bolstered by the returns of the previously disaffected Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels may be a different proposition to the team beaten 3-0 by England in the Caribbean in March.

Asked if England will need to be at their best for a follow-up series win, Morgan said: “Yes, I think we will.

“They’re a strong outfit, (and) obviously have some additions, changes from the Test team – so they’re not a side we take lightly.

“A lot of our focus over the last couple of years has been on ourselves.

“I think to make that extra step, learning on from the Champions Trophy, this series for us is about producing consistent performances.”

Morgan’s opposite number Jason Holder is hoping the West Indies’ win at Chester-le-Street, in his absence after also leading the tourists in a three-match Test series, can help them start the ODIs on an upward curve.

“That result should give us a bit of momentum, albeit a T20 game,” said Holder.

“The guys are up for the challenge. We’ve obviously got some new faces coming back into the side, and it’s exciting times for our cricket.

“We are still at a stage where we are looking to rebuild, and we hope these guys coming back can bring a lot of experience and expertise towards what we are doing.”