Michael Vaughan: I would prefer Anderson over Broad for Southampton Test
Michael Vaughan wants the trio of Jofra Archer, James Anderson and Mark Wood to form England’s pace bowling attack for the first Test of England’s three-match series against West Indies in Southampton.
England have five world-class pacers at their disposal – Archer, Anderson, Stuart Broad, Wood, and Chris Woakes – but only three of them are likely to make the XI come Wednesday morning with Dom Bess handling the spin department.
While Michael Atherton, speaking on Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, favoured the selection of both Anderson and Broad, Vaughan is of the opinion that only one of the legendary duo should be included alongside Archer and Wood.
“I’ve said for a while, I’d go for both [Archer and Wood],” Vaughan told Cricbuzz. “Anderson and Broad, for me, I just see one of them playing. Jimmy Anderson plays, for me. I’ve got a sense that they’ll probably go with both of them but you got to remember what this England Test match side are building towards. As a player, you want to be in this first team on Wednesday. You’ve been in the bubble for two weeks, you’ve been in the lockdown for three months.”
Which three of Anderson, Broad, Woakes, Archer and Wood would you pick at the Ageas Bowl?@Ben_Wisden, @Phil_Wisden, @Yas_Wisden, @Sam_Wisden and @Jimbo_Cricket have their say.https://t.co/625v697b0A
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 6, 2020
England are expected to rotate their fast bowlers with a packed schedule ahead. They will be playing six Tests in the next seven weeks with the three-Test series against Pakistan set to commence on August 5, only a week after their last match with West Indies is scheduled to get over (July 28).
“This first Test match team, particularly the bowling attack, England will say they are going to rotate over the course of the next six (seven) weeks. Of course, they will. You want to be in that team, it’s a big miss. I personally would go Wood and Archer and one of Anderson and Broad will miss out. That seems to be going towards a controversy [but] it’s just the way I will go with the Test match team at the minute.”
