England consider on resting James Anderson and Stuart Broad for Sri Lanka tour
There are speculations that England are considering to leave James Anderson and Stuart Broad out of the squad that will tour Sri Lanka later in the year. The English might do this in order to try and explore new options with the new ball and save Broad and Anderson for series like Ashes.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson have taken the new ball together for more than a decade now and are the two highest wicket-takers in England's Test history. Both these bowlers have already proved their worth and played a pivotal role in England's success throughout their journey. There is little doubt that Anderson, in particular, remains England's best bowler, it is understood the England management are aware of the need for succession planning and may use the three-match Test series in Sri Lanka to explore their options.
With everything yet to be confirmed, there are speculations that the idea is just being discussed at this stage. The two all-time best English pacers might be rotated at different times or they might be replaced by new talents like Jamie Porter, Sam Curran and if fit, Jamie Overton that may have an opportunity to stake a claim in Sri Lanka alongside the more experienced Chris Woakes.Ā
The first Test begins in Galle on November 6 followed by matches in Pallekele and Colombo. England's record away from home may also be a factor. They have won only one overseas series since they defeated India in 2012-13 (beating South Africa in 2015-16) and, in losing their last three, have been punished for a lack of potency when not in home conditions and armed with a Duke's ball. Since the start of the India tour in November 2016, they have spent an average of 150 overs in the field in their opponents' first innings. They have won none of those 12 Tests and lost nine. While Anderson bowled admirably in Australia - he claimed 17 wickets at an average of 27.82 - the disparity in pace between the attacks was a clear point of difference between the sides.
The bowling attack pair is no longer a part of England's one-day team. The team management might have also taken the fitness of the seamers into consideration. Anderson has been nursing a shoulder problem for a couple of years now and Broad has a long-standing issue with one of his feet. With an Ashes series coming up in 2019, there may be a thought of saving them for that rather than asking them to bowl on pitches offering them little in Sri Lanka.
