England have a selection headache over their fast bowlers, heading into the first Test at the Ageas Bowl, starting on Wednesday. They have named Jofra Archer, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, and Chris Woakes as the five specialist pacers in their 13-strong squad for the Test, but picking among them, with three expected to make the final cut, is a tricky choice.

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With the hosts set to play as many as six Tests in the next seven weeks (including the three-match series against Pakistan), Atherton said there would be a need for rest and rotation. “As a captain, I would be happy with any one of those players playing,” he said. “You’ve got Anderson, arguably the greatest fast-medium bowler England have ever had. You have got Broad, who is close to 500 wickets, [and] forms the greatest new-ball partnership England have ever had. Woakes, believe it or not, in England, averages less than Broad and Anderson. His bowling average is a bit better than either [of them] in England with the Dukes ball.

“You’ve got Archer, who has three five-wicket hauls in seven Tests. And you have Wood, who took nine wickets in his last Test match, at Johannesburg and has taken 18 in his last three Tests. He played at Port Elizabeth, and before that, the last one was at St. Lucia, when he bowled like the wind.

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

“I think Broad and Anderson should stay as the new-ball partnership. I think they have earned that. And therefore, it is between Archer and Wood and I would probably go the other way from Nas [Nasser Hussain] and Bish [Ian Bishop] on this occasion. I don’t think it’s a big deal and I would be happy with either. All these bowlers are going to play because it’s six Tests between July 8 and August 25 so you got to have to rest and rotate.

“Now if you look at Old Trafford, that has the second, third and fourth Tests of the six Tests. And there, pace and reverse swing are absolutely essential at Old Trafford. And I probably want Mark Wood to play two of those three games because he, with reverse swing, would probably be your key bowler at Old Trafford.

These two, on the same team. Frightening. pic.twitter.com/0YgcUYq9qe

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) July 2, 2020

“Mark Wood doesn’t play many back to back Tests, so I would probably play Archer in the first one at the Ageas Bowl so Wood can come in at Old Trafford, play the second and maybe the fourth at Old Trafford. And you’re getting two games out of Mark Wood at Old Trafford. But as I said, six Tests in six weeks, they’re all going to play. They’re all top-notchers, and England are spoilt in that regard.”