Former England captain Michael Vaughan has felt sorry for James Anderson and Stuart Broad as the legendary duo was dropped for the 3-match series in West Indies. However, Vaughan sees this as a big opportunity for the young pace attack as it might be a fresh start for something new.
Notable that England faced a heavy thrashing of 4-0 in the Ashes 2021-22. Though it’s more because of poor batting show by the visitors as they failed to cross 300-mark even once in the series. Bairstow was the only century scorer for them as the rest of the batting failed to live up to the expectations. On the other side, bowlers put up a decent show. In fact, Broad was one of the two England bowlers who picked a fifer in the series. Anderson also picked 8 wickets in 3 matches.
“Sometimes you have to make tough calls and send a lightning rod through a system”- Michael Vaughan
But in the first selection meeting under the new management, they decided to look beyond the experienced duo. Vaughan believes that Strauss is trying to build a new culture without the duo as he believes that it might be the right opportunity for the likes of Robinson and Woakes.
“I think Strauss has looked at this and said ‘well we have to go without them eventually, why not start in the Caribbean. In two, three, four years’ time, will this Caribbean tour be the one that everyone remembers? Possibly not. But it might just be the tour to look back to and say ‘that’s the tour that Andrew Strauss got rid of our senior bowlers and the tour where Woakes and Robinson feel a bit more responsibility.” Vaughan spoke to Fox Cricket’s The Follow-On podcast.
However, the former captain showed sympathy for the legendary duo as he believes that the England batting was the main reason behind the Ashes debacle.
“I see an England side without Broad and Anderson maybe going a little bit backwards before they go forwards, but sometimes in sport, you’ve got to be willing to do that. It’s sad for them, I do feel sorry for them. On the back of a really poor Ashes series with the bat, the bowlers were okay at times; it was the batting that was atrocious. I completely get their anger.” Vaughan said.
“Andrew Strauss has so many things on his plate that he probably doesn’t have the time to drive up to Nottingham and spend half a day with them. It’s what he would want to do, but at this stage, I think it’s the right call to try and go without them this tour,” he added.
He further stressed that sometimes the team management has to make those tough calls. He backed Andrew Strauss to develop a new group with the duo.
“Sometimes in management, you have to make tough calls and send a lightning rod through a system to tell everyone within the game that no one’s safe, and I think that’s exactly what he’s done. His message to the Caribbean team will be ‘this is your time to try and generate a culture and a method, a togetherness as a group and team without two senior legends’. I always have a huge amount of respect for people [like Strauss] who have to make tough calls; it’s the hardest position to be in where you’re making a call that you just know you’re going to get criticised.” Vaughan concluded.
Coincidentally last time England won a Test series in West Indies was under the captaincy of Michael Vaughan in 2004. The 3-match series will start on March 8.
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