Joe Root stays on as captain with Paul Collingwood named as interim head coach; experienced duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad left out; Durham opener Alex Lees and Yorkshire's Matthew Fisher in for first Test call-ups; Lancashire fast bowler Saqib Mahmood included
Wednesday 9 February 2022 08:17, UK
James Anderson and Stuart Broad have both been left out of England's 16-man squad to face the West Indies next month.
With 640 scalps in 169 matches, 39-year-old Anderson is both the most prolific and experienced seamer in Test history while 35-year-old Broad is close behind with 537 in 152 appearances.
The pair have become synonymous with England's red-ball side for over a decade but it seems the post-Ashes cull - which has already accounted for head coach Chris Silverwood, assistant Graham Thorpe and managing director of men's cricket Ashley Giles all losing their jobs - has moved on field.
Anderson and Broad are among eight players who were in the Ashes squad for the 4-0 series defeat to be left out for the tour to the Caribbean - Dom Bess, Sam Billings, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed and Dawid Malan also miss out.
Interim director Andrew Strauss met with interim head coach Paul Collingwood, head scout James Taylor and captain Joe Root on Tuesday to finalise the 16-man touring party for the three-match series.
Durham opener Alex Lees has earned a first Test call-up, in addition to Yorkshire seamer Matthew Fisher.
Lees, 28, captained the England Lions in Australia and offers a top-order option with Burns and Hameed left out after struggling in Australia.
Buttler is omitted too after a poor Ashes series which culminated in a broken finger and him missing the final Test, with Surrey keeper Ben Foakes returning.
Elsewhere, Lancashire fast bowler Saqib Mahmood is included.
Joe Root (c), Jonny Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
"With the start of a new cycle, it has allowed the selection panel to refresh the Test squad with a particular focus on competing away from home," interim managing director for England men's cricket Strauss said on Tuesday.
"We felt that it was time to draw a line after the Ashes defeat, look forward and give some impetus with an influx of new players.
"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.
"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.
"This selection of this squad is the start of a process and a journey to get England Test cricket back to where it needs to be, and the hard work starts now."
Speaking on Sky Sports News after the squad confirmation, former England batsman and batting coach Mark Ramprakash admitted he did not foresee Anderson and Broad's omissions.
"This is seismic. I mean this is really an earthquake in cricketing terms," Ramprakash said.
"I never saw this coming because really there's been so much focus on England's poor batting displays, particularly in Australia but also last summer, and it seems that these two great bowlers may have paid the price for the Ashes defeat.
"I hope it's not the end of their careers, because they've been such unbelievable servants for England.
"They show great pride, they know their craft and trade inside-out, and they've had such longevity.
"But having said that, by missing out on this series, the first home Test match of the summer is the first week in June against New Zealand, so whether these guys Anderson at 39 and Broad [at 35] will have the longevity to be selected in the summer is a huge question mark.
"My own view was whether they could have been fitted into that West Indies squad, because young players learn off great players and being alongside them.
"Not having them [Anderson and Broad] in the squad, whilst providing opportunities for others, it does mean there's a huge hole in the England Test side."
With England's next fixtures after their March tour to the West Indies not until June, Ramprakash said it appeared the decision to drop Anderson and Broad at this point may well spell the end for them entirely for England.
"It does feel like that way [it is the end for Anderson and Broad]," he added.
"And I feel it's a great shame if that is the case, because they have unbelievable records and performed with such distinction for such a long time.
"And they are great in the dressing room because they are great competitors, and have shown great professionalism.
"Andrew Strauss has an excellent record of making tough decisions, and those decisions coming off.
"I know he would have thought about this long and hard, and the young fast-bowlers included in this touring party, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher in particular, along with Craig Overton, who haven't played much, are exciting prospects, no question about it.
"I guess that England in this red-ball reset of the Test team, are looking to give opportunities to others to bowl at important times in the game."
Michael Atherton says Joe Root and his England team need to take responsibility for their poor performances over the winter in losing the Ashes series 4-0 in Australia.
Managing director of England men's cricket, Ashley Giles, and head coach Chris Silverwood both lost their jobs last week, with Sir Andrew Strauss replacing Giles on an interim basis and Paul Collingwood announced on Monday as coach for the upcoming three-Test tour of the West Indies.
Strauss gave Root his backing to continue as captain of the Test team for the series in the Caribbean, and while Atherton agrees its "probably the right thing" to stick with him as skipper for now, he said the "focus has to come back on the players and the captain."
On Root keeping the captaincy, Atherton said: "It's a short-term appointment as such because Strauss made it clear, he's right behind Joe Root for now, but that appointment is very much in the hands of whoever the director of cricket will be.
"It's probably the right thing to stick with him for now. I do think the focus has to come back on the players and the captain.
"There's been a lot of talk about the coaches over the last few weeks, but captain and the players need to take responsibility for performance.
"Joe Root has been party to many of those decisions that have cost other people their jobs, and it's really only a lack of alternatives that has determined that he continues to lead England in the Caribbean.
"Whether that will be the case beyond the tour, who knows? We'll have to wait and see."
Atherton added: "I think there had to be some changes to the management of the team.
"As painful as it is, I think they had to make some changes given how the team have performed for the last year or so and given the way the Ashes went."
