DURHAM opener Alex Lees and Yorkshire pace bowler Matthew Fisher have earned their maiden call-ups to the England Test team for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies.

However, England’s record wicket-takers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, and former vice-captain Jos Buttler have all been dropped as the post-Ashes cull took a dramatic turn.

An off-field clear-out after this winter’s 4-0 thrashing Down Under has already accounted for head coach Chris Silverwood, assistant Graham Thorpe and director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles and Tuesday’s squad announcement brought even more seismic changes.

A surprisingly ruthless selection by the interim management team of Sir Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood, who were assisted by lead scout James Taylor, has kicked off the much-discussed ‘red-ball reset’ with eight players dropped following the debacle in Australia.

While Buttler’s form made him a prime candidate, pushing their two most experienced players towards the precipice is a striking move.

Strauss said their longer-term futures would be decided by Silverwood’s successor as Test coach but there was a notable lack of assurances for the pair, alongside a stated desire to “draw a line” and start “a journey” – both of which sound ominous for the veterans.

Dawid Malan, Sam Billings, Dom Bess, Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed are the other axed players, with four uncapped names in the panel.

Yorkshire seamer Fisher is a direct beneficiary of the rebooted bowling attack, Durham opener Lees has a chance to audition for a top-order spot, while Lancashire duo Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson also travel.

Lees captained the Lions squad in Australia and has shown great potential in the County Championship over the past few years with Durham and previously Yorkshire. He scored 625 runs in last year's Championship campaign, with a highest score of 129.

The 24-year-old Fisher took 20 wickets for Yorkshire last season at an average of 19.65 from County Championship matches. His control with the ball has impressed the England set-up for some time, and he was a stand-out performer for the Lions during the winter programme.

"With the start of a new cycle, it has allowed the selection panel to refresh the Test squad with a particular focus on competing away from home,” said Strauss, who was responsible for a similar reset in white-ball cricket in 2015. "We felt that it was time to draw a line after the Ashes defeat, look forward and give some impetus with an influx of new players."

England will arrive in Antigua on February 25 and will play a four-day warm-up match starting on March 1 followed by three Tests. The first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua starts on March 8.