Former England captain David Gower has questioned England’s move to rigidly sticking to their player-rotation policy, as he fears it may hurt the tourists’ chances of winning an “immense, box-office” Test series in India, as well as, cost them a place in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final.
England is scheduled to play four Tests, five T20Is, and three ODIs against Team India with the tour starting with the first Test on Friday (February 5) in Chennai.
As per England’s player-rotation policy, Jos Buttler will return home after the Chennai Test, while Jonny Bairstow, Mark Wood, and Sam Curran are being rested for the first two Tests of the four-match Test series against India and are expected to return for the rest of the two Tests.
Gower, one of England's greatest batsmen, who led England to a 2-1 Test series triumph in India in 1984/85, was also “slightly annoyed” with England's plans of resting key players like Buttler ahead of the “historic” and “one of the flagstaff series” in India.
However, the legendary England cricketer understands the demands of a tight schedule that sees England play at least 17 Tests in 2021 and how it is challenging to spend prolonged spells inside bio-secure bubbles, but being a Test cricket fan, he just wants his nation to deliver the best against India and win the Test series as they haven’t won in India since 2012.
Gower said on Thursday (February 4): “Forget the World Test Championship for a moment, this is now as historic a series as any," said Gower, who led England to a 2-1 triumph in India in 1984/85. India-England is one of the flagstaff series; it's an immense series, a box-office series.”
He further added, “As a Test fan, I'm slightly annoyed England have already made plans for Jos Buttler to play the one Test match. Just as an Englishman, wanting England to do well in this series, you want the best players to be available for as much of it as possible.”
However, the former captain said “as long as England picks their best XI, they will be competitive” while saying James Anderson and Stuart Broad are still England’s best bowlers.
England captain Joe Root will join Gower as one of 15 cricketers to have played 100 Tests for England on Friday when he steps up for the toss in the series-opening Test in Chennai.
Praising the 30-year-old Root, Gower said: “If you look at Joe's figures (8,249 Test runs so far), he is the most successful of all of us who have reached that 100-Test mark.”
He signed off by saying, “Compared to (Geoffrey) Boycott, (Kevin) Pietersen, (Alastair) Cook, he is ahead of the game, added the 63-year-old left-hander, who finished his 117-match career with 8,231 runs at an average of more than 44.”
(With AFP Inputs)
