Struggling To Put Things Into Context - Stuart Broad After Being Ignored For West Indies Test Series

James Anderson and Stuart Broad were axed from the England squad that was named for the Test series against West Indies. The two sides play a three-Test match series between March 8-28. West Indies had earlier won the T20I series against the visitors.

Stuart Broad has reacted after the ECB axed the veteran player along with his long-time teammate James Anderson. Broad said he failed to understand the reason following a ‘5-minute’ phone call with the ECB.

“I am struggling to put things into context. It’s hard to do so when all you’ve had is a five-minute phone call and nothing else. “Not to big it up too much but it has affected my sleep. I said to my partner Mollie one morning that my body felt sore. She suggested that would be stress. No, I can’t pretend I am as good as gold, because I am not. It would be wrong to act like everything’s OK” Broad wrote in his Mail on Sunday column.

Broad and Anderson are England’s two leading wicket-takers in Tests with 640 and 537 wickets. Broad picked up 11 wickets in the last two Ashes Tests and he said that he was a much better bowler in the format since the last 8 years.

“I took 11 wickets in the final two Ashes matches, I have been Test match standard for a long time and, for the last eight years, you would say world-class. I could take being dropped if I had let my standards slip but facing up to being overlooked when they haven’t is another thing altogether,” he added.

When asked to justify the reason behind the axe of the veteran pacers, Andrew Strauss ECB’s interim Director said “In respect of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, I want to emphasise this does not mean the end for them as England players. We feel that it is important to look at some exciting new bowling potential and give some added responsibility to other players who have featured previously.”

Not The End For Stuart Broad, James Anderson: Andrew Strauss

“No one doubts the quality and experience that James and Stuart bring to the England set-up. It will be up to the new managing director and permanent head coach to decide on whether they will be involved this summer and beyond,” he further said in an official ECB release.

England Squad For West Indies Test Series

Joe Root (captain), Jonathan Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

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