‘A glimpse into the future’: England shock cricket greats by axing Stuart Broad – Fox Sports

For the first time since 2012, Broad found himself left out of Englands XI for a home Test, dropped in Ben Stokes first game as captain so the side could fit in both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer alongside James Anderson.
It was an axing former England captain Mike Atherton said provided a glimpse of the future, while both Nasser Hussain and Mike Holding were perplexed behind the logic of dropping a man who has taken 485 wickets at 28.50 runs apiece.
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He is a pretty serious talent and youd want to get the most out of him while he is around, Hussain said on Sky Sports. He may have two years left in his legs, you may want to get as much out of him as possible.
He suggested England had taken the easy way out by not making a call between its two express quicks.
I hope they havent gone down the easy we cant choose between Archer and Wood, he said. Cant choose between them, so well leave Broad out.
As Hussain pointed out, Broad was Englands best bowler in its most recent Test series, taking 14 wickets at 19.42 against South Africa. Last time he played in England, in the 2019 Ashes, he picked up 23 wickets at 26.65 runs apiece, and tormented David Warner.
Broad got Warner out seven times last summer. Are we forgetting that? Hussain said.
Holding also took issue with England splitting the tried and tested partnership of Anderson and Broad the bedrock of its success for much of the past decade.
Fast bowling is about partnerships, those two guys have done brilliantly together, Holding said. I just could not understand both being fit and leaving any one of them out.
The fast bowling cupboard is not bare, there are a lot of fast bowlers, some very good fast bowlers in the England cupboard but I couldnt see the first Test match of a series and youre going to leave one of those two guys out.
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Atherton believes it is the first hint England is starting to think about the future of its attack.
Broad and Anderson are 34 and 37 years old respectively firmly nearing the ends of their careers. Anderson in particular is starting to show the tolls of time, with injury sidelining him for much of the past 12 months.
Until now if James Anderson and Stuart Broad were fit and available for selection in a Test match in England they would have always up to this point been first choice for any captain, Atherton said on Sky Sports. Theyve been the best and most enduring new-ball partnership England have ever had.
Its a big moment and its really a glimpse into the future. England have got their eye on India next winter, theyve got their eye on Australia in two winters time.
It was just a question of how you move on from Broad and Anderson, whether you do it gradually, whether you try squeeze whatever last drops of juice theyve got, theyve decided to make that change now.
However, he cautioned this was far from the end for Broad.
There are six Tests in six weeks and Stuart Broad at some stage this summer will get a chance to make his case and boy will he want to make that case.
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