England team management has recently chosen to break up the new ball bowling partnership of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Anderson has 587 Test wickets, while Broad has claimed 485 scalps and they have over 880 wickets in 116 Tests played together.
But England chose to go with Anderson in the first Test against the West Indies in Southampton which marked the resumption of international cricket after a long layoff due to Coronavirus pandemic. After losing the 1st Test, England decided to rest Anderson and call up Broad for the Manchester Test.
However, former fast bowler Dominic Cork called Anderson-Broad partnership as legendary as that of Ambrose-Walsh and Wasim-Waqar and urged the management to play the two bowlers together.
"Broad and Anderson are of a similar ilk to Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram - we have to give them their time to keep playing together," Cork said on Sky Sports' 'The Cricket Debate'.
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"As a senior bowler you know what you have to do to get through a Test match," he added.
The 48-year-old, who has featured in 37 Tests and 32 ODIs from 1992-2002 for England, said there was no doubt in his mind that Anderson should have been played in Manchester. The hosts have opted to rotate their pace attack with Broad, Chris Woakes, and Sam Curran coming in place of Anderson, Mark Wood, and Jofra Archer.
"Anderson is one of the best swing bowlers we have ever had - why wouldn't you play him? I don't get it. He has hardly played any cricket recently, is coming to the end of his career, and wants more wickets," Cork said.
"One hundred percent (Anderson should have played). Unless he comes to me as captain or chairman of selectors and says 'I don't think I can get through this Test', and I don't think he has said that, he plays because of his class and the bowler he's been," Cork further added.
"I played in Manchester for five years and know there is clouds. Before there was a big hotel there was a little hotel and every morning I woke up for a four-day game I pulled back my curtains and then shut them again because it was raining!" Cork signed off.
(PTI inputs)
