Butcher helped England to a Test victory against West Indies in 2004
In January 1998, Mark Butcher was drafted into the England side on the morning of the first Test against West Indies, a year on from his debut.
Wicketkeeper Jack Russell had fallen ill, so Alec Stewart took the gloves and Butcher came in to play a Test match in his ancestral home of Jamaica.
"That was probably the last long tour," Butcher recalled.
"We were four weeks in Antigua and other beautiful parts of the Caribbean leading up to that first Test match.
"In that four weeks I did a lot of training, a lot of singing and karaoke to entertain the boys, everything except playing."
Then Butcher got the call-up to face the intimidating pace-bowling partnership of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh on their home turf, and on a pitch at Sabina Park that was extremely unfriendly to batsmen.
He remembers how it did not take long to see that there may be trouble ahead.
"Things were obviously awry when the first ball of the day from Curtly Ambrose flew over Stewart's head and over the wicketkeeper.
If England go 1-0 down against West Indies it will be very difficult for them
Mark Butcher
"One bounce four and we thought hey, this could be a quick game," Butcher reflected.
"Before I knew it I was in. A very sedate Courtney Walsh, almost like he knew something was up with the pitch, bowled a back-of-a-length ball that absolutely flew at me.
"I managed to get my hands in front of my face - straight up in the air for nought.
"I went back to the dressing room and found Adam Hollioake absolutely wetting himself, laughing at me.
The match was abandoned after just 56 minutes as the pitch was not deemed safe for batsmen.
Six years on Butcher was again in Jamaica with England chasing a first series win in the West Indies for 36 years and in the Jamaica Test, Butcher's half century set the tone for a victory.
"Fidel Edwards and Tino Best probably bowled the quickest I'd faced in Test cricket and we had to wear more than a few to eke out a decent first innings total," he added.
"That lead proved to be vital as Steve Harmison took 7-12 and it was back to the beach bar 1-0 up."
That Test saw the awesome foursome of Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard come together.
The four quicks went on to dominate Test cricket for the next 18 months, going on to win the Ashes in 2005.
"They were an intimidating big bunch of lads and it was great to have them on your side," continued Butcher.
"It was astonishing to have every man bar short leg behind the wicket [during Harmison's spell].
"It was one of those peculiar days when every time he bowled a decent ball the batsmen nicked it and it was caught."
Butcher said that it is important for England to get off to a good start on the upcoming tour.
"If England go 1-0 down it will be very difficult," he predicted.
"One of the great things we had in 2004 was the West Indies crowd didn't turn up after the first Test.
"Steve Harmison destroyed their whole spirit so we felt like we were playing at home from there on in."
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