I am beyond disappointed to see that England have dropped James Anderson and Stuart Broad for the upcoming West Indies Test tour.
I have a habit of writing these blogs with about 10 browser tabs open, of which 5 are usually different Cricinfo pages to furnish me with stats in an effort to back up whatever argument I am making or musing on but this time I’ve just typed straight to email, on my phone, because none of the surrounding stats (and there are many) matter to me on this topic.
Anderson and Broad are still among England’s top 5 bowlers, no doubt. Yes, we need to plan for their eventual retirement but that comes through detailed, developed and strategic planning, not through throwing them out with the Ashes bathwater as if their age alone makes them the problem.
Let us remember that their last acts for England were the saving of the Sydney Test match, saving England from the scorebook humiliation of another 5-0 whitewash. And this is how we repay them.
If the idea, privately reassured and publicly explained, was that a roasting hot series that would more likely reward out-and-out pace over Broad and Anderson’s nuance, then I think we all could have accepted that. Managing their workload and making sure we get the most of them in the home summer both make sense as arguments in favour of keeping them at home this spring.
But it’s been clear that this is a dropping, and if Strauss and Root are serious about their ‘red hall reset’ then the only explanation is that they see the WORLD CLASS veteran duo as dead wood. Or possibly as players who refuse to have the wool pulled over their eyes about ECB and England failings.
I love that Stuart Broad speaks out when he is dropped and I applaud his column in the weekend’s Daily Mail where he explains his anger and disappointment at his situation. He is good enough to be picked and I think part of the problem here is that no one really understands why he hasn’t been. Ditto for Jimmy.
Surely we aren’t already hyping up how we are ‘preparing for the next Ashes’? Could we just show some respect and play the team in front of us, please?
I get the whole ‘there’s no room for sentimentality in sport’ argument but as far as I can see, this isn’t about sentimentality. It’s not weak, rose-tinted vision to say that these two giants of the modern English, nay, world game should have the right to a final home series (if that is what they choose). Where is the man-management Strauss is supposed to be so good at? And Root? I thought this was his only genuinely captain-material quality??
Where is the quiet word in Stuart and Jimmy’s ear to let them know that Winter 2022 is probably a no-go zone as England launch their new forward planning programme (not just for the Ashes, just for every series in the next 5 years) and that they might, therefore, want to consider going out with a bang this summer?
Perhaps we are to believe that that conversation had already happened (but then they wouldn’t have gone to Oz, so it clearly hasn’t).
I absolutely love these two players. I feel so privileged to have watched them play so many times and, like Alastair Cook before them, but more so thanks to Jimmy’s much earlier debut, as they have been a presence in my life from my teens to now pushing 40. I want England to be able to continue and win without them but not like this. It would be great to think that this might be their last summer because it might mean England have finally developed some strength and depth and the 2023 summer will be a runaway success with the next England stars shining.
The only consolation in all this is the hope that both will indeed play this summer and England fans will have their chance to say goodbye to these titans of the sport. For now, to both Stuart Broad and James Anderson, thank you for everything, keep fighting, and I hope to see you again soon.