Anderson, Broad out of Windies tour

LONDON (CMC):

ENGLAND’S TOP two wicket-takers have been excluded from the 16-man squad selected to face West Indies in next month’s three-match Test tour of the Caribbean.

Leading bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad are among eight players from the recent Ashes series – which England lost 4-0 to Australia – to miss out on selection.

“I want to emphasise this does not mean the end for them as England players,” said interim managing director of England Men’s Cricket Sir Andrew Strauss of Anderson, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker in Tests with 640 dismissals in 169 matches, and Broad who is number two with 537 wickets in 152 matches.

“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,” he added as the squad was announced yesterday.

The final team, which will be led by Joe Root, was selected by England men’s selection panel on which Sir Andrew, interim head coach Paul Collingwood, and head scout James Taylor sit.

The omission of Anderson and Broad and six others who participated in the Ashes series is the latest shake-up in the side, following the firing of former head coach Chris Silverwood and managing director Ashley Giles last week.

The first Test will be held March 8-12 at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua; the second from March 16-20 at Kensington Oval in Barbados; and the final Test will be at the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada, March 24-28.

The full England squad: Joe Root (captain), Jonathan Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.