"No one has said it is the end" - Joe Root on James Anderson and Stuart Broad's future in the England Test team
England skipper Joe Root has stated that James Anderson and Stuart Broad still hold a future with the Three Lions Test squad. The senior fast bowling duo were dropped from the squad for the upcoming series against West Indies.
Anderson and Broad have made their thoughts very clear after having lost their place. The selection call was made in the midst of a hostile shake-up of the team personnel.
Team director Andrew Strauss and captain Joe Root have gone on to express that the absence of the veterans could be seen as an opportunity for the rest of the bowling attack to step up.
James Anderson is 'praying' his England career is not over after being dropped for the upcoming West Indies tour 🙏
Claiming that the duo's axing from the squad is by no means the end for them, Root said:
"I have spoken to both Stuart and Jimmy. They are obviously disappointed and angry. 'Stu in particular has voiced that quite publicly and you would expect that. I have got a huge amount of respect for all of them but at no point has no one said this is the end for them."
He continued:
"The guys on the tour have a real opportunity to step into some different roles, to take those opportunities, to grow themselves as players in this team and to strengthen what could be the backbone of this team moving forward."
England have named a fast bowling unit of Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood and all-rounders Ben Stokes and Craig Overton for the Caribbean tour.
The Three Lions dropped Anderson and Broad in the first Ashes Test in Brisbane last year. The team went on to suffer a brutal loss which set the template for the series as well.
"Would be great to see Stuart and Jimmy very much in summer" - Joe Root
Anderson and Broad, who are well into the twilight of their careers, have performed well with the red ball in recent times. The rest of the bowling attack has been shaped around the duo and has benefitted from it as well.
The England captain hinted at the duo returning to the side for the home season, which includes Tests against India, South Africa and New Zealand. Root said:
"It would be great to see Stuart and Jimmy very much in the mix at the start of the summer as well. No one has said it is the end. There is obviously a lot that can happen within this tour and over the next period but that has been made clear that is certainly not the case."
The 31-year-old concluded:
"They have taken the new ball for such a long period of time in English cricket, they have been leaders of the attack an they've done an extremely good job and I have a lot of respect for that."
.@ShaneDow will lead the President XI v England on March 1-4 in Antigua. #WIvENG
Squad details⬇️
bit.ly/apextestsquad https://t.co/1rsuotAkT0
England will compete in a three-match Test series against West Indies. The first Test is slated to begin on March 8 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.