New England Test captain Ben Stokes has insisted it would be "stupid" to never consider James Anderson and Stuart Broad for selection again.
Anderson and Broad are England's two leading wicket-takers of all-time, having picked up a combined 1,177 wickets in Test cricket. The pair were controversially dropped for England's recent 1-0 series defeat to the West Indies and, with Anderson 39 and Broad 35, it was feared the axing could spell the end of their international careers.
However, England's new Managing Director of Men's Cricket Rob Key confirmed last week that both he and Stokes were keen for the pair to return. He said: "I rang Jimmy and Broady on the Sunday I was announced and I just said to them, 'look, there are going to be coaches coming in, but for my money, you guys are available for selection for that first Test match'.
