Ben Stokes already has an eye on the Ashes as England step into a new era

This is a new era for England. The departure of James Anderson will dominate the headlines, but this is a head-to-toe change of course for Ben Stokes's team.

After two years of Stokes's captaincy, the mantra has changed from 'be where your feet are' and not look too far ahead, to 'planning for tomorrow is as important as winning today', with the Ashes on the far horizon.

"I've been captain for two years now," said Stokes at Lord's, a day out from the first Test of the summer. "And two years is a long time for something to be fine for. But I also want to push this team as far as they can go.

"You look at where we've got to go in 18 months to Australia. We want to win that urn back. I'll be nearly four years as captain when we go out there. I want to be able to go out there knowing we've done everything possible right over this 18-month period to go there with a strong enough squad to not just compete with Australia but to beat them.

"It's probably the first time you've heard me speak like that about something so far away, but again it goes back to progression as a side. I want this team to progress over the next 18 months, so I'm focusing on that, because I want us to go out to Australia and win the Ashes back."

The shape that takes in the here and now is a change of bowling line-up and a change of wicketkeeper. The prodigiously talented 23-year-old Jamie Smith has been given a debut with the gloves, in a move that all but ends the Test careers of Jonny Bairstow and Ben Foakes, while the 20-year-old Shoaib Bashir has dislodged the long-serving Jack Leach as England's No1 spinner.

In an oddity of selection, both Smith and Bashir have ousted players who are picked ahead of them at county level. Smith plays as a specialist batter at Surrey, where Foakes keeps wicket, while Leach, when fit, plays ahead of Bashir at Somerset.

While both have been picked on merit now, it is also a show of belief in them getting even better, particularly Bashir. It can be argued that Smith would be the next batter off the rank were an injury to strike, but they have taken the very first opportunity they have had to get a player they deem to be a generational talent in the side.

Outside of Bashir and Smith, so too will there be a rotating cast of seamers auditioning for the role of the heir to Anderson over the summer. The first to be called up is Gus Atkinson, who will make his debut at Lord's, while Matthew Potts and the uncapped Dillon Pennington look set to feature across the series.

The difficulty England face is balancing the need to win now with the desire to win later. It is a conundrum Stokes is painfully aware of.

"Definitely," Stokes said of the need to balance short- and long-term goals. "Hopefully, no one's thinking we're not focusing on the here and now. We know that the West Indies are a very dangerous team. We've always found them to come here and always make it hard work for us. We know how passionate they are about cricket, in particular playing against England. We don't take any opposition lightly."

The visitors' strengths are as obvious as their weaknesses. A wonderfully exciting pace attack, consisting of Shamar Joseph, Jason Holder, Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales is complemented by a fragile batting unit. Of the top six, only captain Kraigg Brathwaite and all-rounder Holder have more than four Test appearances.

And of that top six, there is a moment of history, as opening batter Mikyle Louis, 23, makes his debut, becoming the first cricketer from St Kitts and Nevis to represent the West Indies.

"He'll be playing international cricket for many years," said Brathwaite. "My advice to all the younger boys in the group is don't just expect to play for West Indies, be the first to score 30 hundreds. You've got to think big, not think too small."