Broand and Anderson omissions leave questions over final swansong for the English duo
James Anderson and Stuart Broad's careers may be over after their shock omissions from England's tour of the West Indies. Serious questions have been raised about whether the pair will represent the Three Lions ever again.
The elite fast-bowling duo have unequivocally earned the right to bow out on their own terms. They can be classified into the all-time greats list and hence should have a little more say about their swansong in English cricket.
While new England cricket boss Andrew Strauss has stressed this does not spell the end of their illustrious careers, it does canvass scary prospects. Should the new players coming in hit the ground running, it will be tough to envision Anderson and Broad replacing them in the future.
Anderson and Broad ‘very disappointed’ by shock axe... but Test careers are STILL not over 😱
STORY > bit.ly/3Bbg6y2 https://t.co/9b9werngsF
Fans will have to hold on to Strauss' words about the future of the pace duo. He did affirm that the exclusion did not "spell the end of the road" for the pair. Strauss also added that they will be "very much in the mix" (for selection) in the upcoming home English summer.
It's a packed red-ball schedule for England, with tests against New Zealand, India and South Africa during their home summer. That has paved the way for English selectors and administrators to use the caveat of "rest and rotation" in leaving Broad and Anderson out of the West Indies tour.
The end for elite sportsmen can have a tendency to be swift, surprising and unglamorous, compared to the stature they housed on the field. But with a total of 1,177 Test wickets between the two (640 for Anderson and 537 for Broad), such a departure would not do their careers justice.
Former England fast bowler Steve Harmison, who bowed out in glory during England's Ashes recapture at The Oval, believes they deserve a proper send-off.
‘But to (potentially) end their careers this way – because I think this is it and I don’t see them coming back – I don’t think that’s right. I think it’s disgusting actually on two all-time greats," he said speaking to the Cricket Collective podcast.
They are deserving of a fitting send-off - think of Lord's or Old Trafford at dusk on an English summer's day in front of a capacity crowd. They are deserving of scenes akin to Ross Taylor's recent departure from the Blackcaps - a moment to be celebrated on the field.
All the while, they are currently deserving of being in the side as bowlers in their own right.
🗣️ "I hope this isn't the end because I think they deserve better"
Nasser Hussain gives his thoughts on Broad and Anderson being left out of the squad for the West Indies test 🤔 https://t.co/iAubMETtl4
Is this a clean up act by the English Cricket Board?
Cricket boards have made a habit of cleaning out servants of the sport as the game becomes increasingly commercialized - think Justin Langer at the Australian camp. Or even a Chris Silverwood and Ashley Giles at the English camp can be looked at for reference.
We all know Anderson and Broad can't bowl forever. Anderson is 39 years old and Broad is 35. But the England Cricket Board (ECB) has a duty to repay the services given by the duo to English cricket. Commercial jargon such as "refresh and move forward" and "new direction" is grossly unfair to the two veterans.
The next question is whether the duo genuinely retains their desire to redouble their efforts in the English season after being shafted from the side so unjustly. Anderson and Broad can't be bedgrudged for potentially retiring now and soaking up the praise - in hindsight. Is that what the ECB wants in order to "move forward"?
After all, England haven't won a test series in the West Indies since 2003/04 and Anderson and Broad's inclusion in the squad will address the "here and now". That is especially the case as England fight to wrestle back some momentum after a 4-0 Ashes crushing Downunder.