England's all-time leading Test wicket-taker James Anderson and Stuart Broad bore the brunt of the team's 0-4 Ashes drubbing, as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) dropped them from the squad for the three-test tour of the West Indies next month.
Anderson and Broad, who have a combined 1,177 Test wickets, were left out of the 16-man England Test squad by a selection panel that included interim managing director Andrew Strauss, interim head coach Paul Collingwood, and head scout James Taylor.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has now spoken out about the situation, saying the ECB is "trying to create a culture" away from the star English bowling duo.
“England wants to build a new culture. That’s what has led them to the huge decision to drop Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad from the squad to the West Indies. They're trying to create a culture away from Broad and Anderson.
Sometimes high-class senior bowlers can be an issue in the side. That's not saying they’re not good people - they are - but you sometimes need to move forward. That sends a strong message to the team,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph.
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Vaughan also stated that he is "quite happy with this selection," and that the long-term goal of such a move is "trying to build a team that can win in Australia."
Anderson and Broad's future in international cricket, according to the former England captain, is uncertain.
"It doesn’t mean it’s the end for Anderson and Broad. They might well play in the summer. Strauss will know that he’ll get Anderson and Broad with a point to prove and the Dukes' ball at home, where they can still be lethal. One of them could even play in the 2023 Ashes, which they would have hoped to be their final series.
“But there are never any guarantees in sport. We may now never see Broad or Anderson playing for England again. And you could argue that if they do return there’s a problem and it means those who’ve got the chance haven’t capitalized,” said Vaughan.
