James Anderson and Stuart Broad both left out of England Test squad for West Indies tour | Cricket News

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

Stuart Broad and James Anderson are omitted from England’s Test squad to face the West Indies

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.

Alex Lees earns a first England Test call-up

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.

England’s 16-man squad for three-Test tour of West Indies 2022

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.

Strauss: This does not mean the end for Anderson and Broad

“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.

Broad, 35, and Anderson, 39, have taken over 1,000 wickets combined for England in their careers

“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.”

Atherton: England and Root must take responsibility

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.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Michael Atherton says Paul Collingwood’s appointment as England’s interim head coach ‘makes sense’, and believes he is a ‘contender’ for the permanent job

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.

India vs W Indies

February 9, 2022, 7:50am

Live on

“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.”