Instead, the selectors are giving Tino Best and Dwight Washington the chance to push for places in an attack almost certain to be spearheaded by the fast and furious 22-year-old Fidel Edwards.
They could yet find room in the squad for Jermaine Lawson, who is hoping to step up his recovery from injury and controversy-for Jamaica against England later this week. Lawson, who was reported for an illegal action 10 months ago after taking seven for 78 against Australia, has been plagued by back problems since supposedly sorting out his technical troubles.
But whatever attack the West Indies put together throughout this four-Test series, England are likely to require significant contributions from three middle-order batsmen who know what it is like to face the very best in this part of the world.
Nasser Hussain, Graham Thorpe and Mark Butcher are the only three members of Vaughan's squad to have made senior tours here.
Hussain, who made his Test debut in Jamaica 14 years ago, is on his fourth Test trip to the Caribbean while Thorpe has begun his third and Butcher, his second.
Vaughan said: "We'll be asking those three to pass on all their knowledge and experience to the rest of us. We are expecting a lot of runs from them."
England's last appearance at Sabina Park came in 1998, when the first Test of the series was abandoned inside an hour because the pitch was too dangerous.
Today's track was not a thing of any great beauty but at least no one expected it to misbehave like that shocker.
