England’s Test team’s Doomsday scenario has, for so long, been “what happens when James Anderson and Stuart Broad are no longer around?”
Well, in the wake of another dreadful Ashes defeat, England have decided to take a peak beyond that dusty curtain — at least for now.
This was the headline-grabber of an extraordinary squad for the three-Test tour of the West Indies next month, but there was so much more besides. Dawid Malan was as unlucky to be dropped as Ollie Pope was to be retained. And what did Sam Billings do wrong?
There are so many questions about the batting. With the top three that started the Ashes all gone, it appears Joe Root will move to first drop, which could mean Pope is not only retained in the XI, but promoted to No4, should he beat Dan Lawrence to a spot in the side. Pope’s backing after his slow technical degradation might be a window into how awry England’s coaching became in Australia.
Looking at the squad in the round, there are two inconvenient truths here. The first is that it would be easier if this tour, another stop on England’s relentless treadmill of fixtures, did not exist. It was picked by an interim panel who have no idea how a new set-up will view each player’s future. They clearly felt they had a mandate to play shots.
The second is that Root — and this is partly down to his shortcomings — has never quite made the team his own while Anderson and Broad, paired originally by Michael Vaughan (five captains ago!), were in the side together.
Even while their performances have remained excellent, there have been gentle attempts to break them up but they are dominant figures in the camp and perhaps a barrier to younger men’s progress. Chris Woakes’ Test record is remarkable, given how rarely he has had the new ball, although he is also lucky to survive.
Anderson and Broad have plenty of experience of these situations. In 2008, they felt the good side, when Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard, heroes of 2005, were dropped mid-series in New Zealand, setting in train England’s next great partnership.
And in 2015, with a new broom swept through the white-ball set-up, they were jettisoned immediately despite being — then and now — first and third on England’s list of ODI wicket-takers. Andrew Strauss, in the team in 2008 and in charge in 2015, knows this is a statement play, even if it inevitably angers the players.
England know Anderson and Broad will not be around for the full life cycle of the team they are trying to rebuild. So in the West Indies, Woakes, Ollie Robinson and the rest will have the chance to show a new coach what they can do, while Root looks to stamp his authority on the team again. In the summer, the old boys will likely return, but for how long who knows.
If England fans were in any doubt that things will become harder before they become easier, confirmation arrived yesterday. Strauss must hope that the long game works again.
