London: Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels that the Test side is trying to build a culture which doesn’t include Stuart Broad and James Anderson. He added that he is happy with the call taken to not include the veteran pacers for Tests against the West Indies.
On Tuesday, Broad and Anderson were notable exclusions from the 16-member squad travelling to West Indies for three Tests.
“England want to build a new culture. That’s what has led them to the huge decision to drop Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad from the squad to the West Indies. They’re trying to create a culture away from Broad and Anderson. Sometimes high-class senior bowlers can be an issue in the side. That’s not saying they’re not good people — they are — but you sometimes need to move forward,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph on Wednesday.
About his view on the exclusions of Broad and Anderson, Vaughan remarked, “That sends a strong message to the team. I’m quite happy with this selection. They clearly feel that they need to move away from that pair. That’s the message –Joe Root and his team want to build a new team without Broad and Anderson.”
“As much as I’ve been an advocate of moving on I do feel a bit sorry for them. There’ll be arguments on both sides. But England have clearly thought they haven’t done exactly what’s required. And they’ll give Root the chance to build a fresh culture with a new bowling attack. That’s the line I’d fall on — go with a new group.”
Broad and Anderson, at 39 and 35 years respectively, have earned 321 Test caps and scalped 1,177 wickets between themselves. In the 4-0 Ashes mauling in Australia, Broad and Anderson were used sparingly in the series. Ander Strauss, the interim director of England men’s cricket, had emphasised on Tuesday that exclusion from the West Indies trip isn’t an end to the duo’s long-standing careers.
Vaughan felt either Broad or Anderson might feature in Test at home but felt doubtful of it. “It doesn’t mean it’s the end for Anderson and Broad. They might well play in the summer. Strauss will know that he’ll get Anderson and Broad with a point to prove and the Dukes ball at home, where they can still be lethal.
“One of them could even play in the 2023 Ashes, which they would have hoped to be their final series. But there are never any guarantees in sport. We may now never see Broad or Anderson playing for England again. And you could argue that if they do return there’s a problem and it means those who’ve got the chance haven’t capitalised.”
(IANS)
Comments are closed.