Is There Still Room For Both James Anderson And Stuart Broad?: Paul Newman Wants England To Take Decision On The Bowling Pair

Former England player Paul Newman wants England’s interim head coach Paul Collingwood to take some tough calls to revive the team in the red-ball format.

Collingwood, who was the assistant coach of the England cricket team, was on Monday named as the interim coach for England’s three-match Test series against West Indies in March.

The England cricket team is currently seeing a lot of casualties after their disastrous 0-4 Ashes campaign to Australia. Head coach Chris Silverwood and assistant Graham Thorpe parted ways with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). ECB’s managing director Ashley Giles stepped down from his role with former England skipper Andrew Strauss taking up the role on a temporary basis.

Paul Collingwood must make his first contentious call as interim coach: Paul Newman

Newman, who played 135 First-Class matches for Derbyshire and Durham between 1980-89, wants Collingwood to work closely with Strauss for England’s new red-ball cycle.

“Paul Collingwood must make his first contentious call as interim coach on Tuesday when England decides whether the time is right to split up their greatest fast-bowling partnership,” Newman wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

“Collingwood, entrusted to lead the three-Test tour of the Caribbean next month, will join Andrew Strauss and James Taylor, remotely, in the return of a selection panel charged with launching England’s new red-ball cycle,” he added.

Is there still room for both Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad?: Paul Newman

Newman believes it’s time for England’s think-tank to take a call on senior England bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who share 1177 Test scalps between them.

“And principal among the decisions they must make, in consultation with captain Joe Root, is addressing what has become one of the elephants in the England dressing room – is there still room for both Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad?,” Newman mentioned.

“Broad and Anderson will not be the only senior players under scrutiny in the selection meeting as England must also decide whether the time is right to do things differently by moving on from one of Root’s most trusted lieutenants in Jos Buttler,” he further added.

England will start the Test series against West Indies on March 8 in Antigua.

Also Read: ECB Appoint Paul Collingwood As The Interim Head Coach For West Indies Test Series