West Indies captain Darren Sammy does not intend to abandon the side's current philosophy despite criticism from the likes of Michael Holding and Ramnaresh Sarwan.
Many of the problems affecting the depleted touring team are down to individual player disputes with the West Indies Cricket Board - with the likes of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine all missing from the current squad having opted to accept Indian Premier League contracts instead.
Former captain Gayle is the most eye-catching absentee due to a long-standing disagreement with the WICB, though that is believed to be close to settlement.
But Sammy and coach Ottis Gibson have also been lambasted, with Holding being openly critical of the former's place in the team and the latter's man-management style.
Sarwan, currently playing county cricket with Leicestershire, has also spoken of a troubled relationship with Gibson.
But Sammy believes in what the pair are doing, which amounts to a bottom-up overhaul of the central tenets of Caribbean cricket.
"I think ever since I've been captain, people have been saying these things," he said on the eve of the second Investec Test against England at Trent Bridge.
"I try and do the best I can for the West Indies but everybody has an opinion and I respect that.
"Coach Gibson and myself are trying to build something for the future here. Everybody might not like it but the team has been responding in the last few series we've played. People are free to talk, it's a free country.
"Ottis has made it known this West Indies team is a hard-working team.
"He (Gibson) came on board with a whole new idea - determination, working hard for yourself and the team, fitness. He wanted to play a brand of cricket where fans could see the determination and passion and see us competing against higher-ranked teams. So far we've been able to do that.
"The West Indies have been going down to the bottom for the last 15 or so years and we kept doing the same things over and over again. Somebody said to me that if you do the same things over and over and expect change that's crazy."
Asked if the new emphasis on tough training and fitness meant the side were better off without the likes of Sarwan and Gayle, both of whom would be automatic choices purely on raw talent, Sammy demurred.
"I would never say that," he said. "But as a team there are things you have to follow. The coach has tried to instil a professional attitude and players have made their own decisions to do other things.
"The Chris Gayle issue is way beyond any player here. It is a board issue. Whoever comes into the dressing room, we'll welcome them."
With Shannon Gabriel having flown home after sustaining a back injury in the five-wicket defeat at Lord's, the tourists need to make at least one change.
Ravi Rampaul, fit again after a neck complaint that handed Gabriel his debut, is set to return and there could also be a place for spinner Shane Shillingford.
Shillingford missed out in the first Test after complaining the cold weather was hindering his delivery of the ball, but the balmy conditions in Nottingham should solve that.
"There's a good chance Shillingford might play in this match with Shannon out," said Sammy.
"Ravi is fit again and he's been the man taking wickets with the new ball for us. We'll probably go back to our usual...two hard, fast bowlers and myself and a spinner."
