WI v ENG 2019: Nasser Hussain backs Leach to replace Rashid in Antigua

The second Test kickstarts on Thursday, January 31.

Rashid struggled at the Kensington Oval | Getty

England might drop leggie Adil Rashid after their disappointing overall performance and loss in the first Test at Barbados, feels Nasser Hussain, who also believes that left-arm spinner Jack Leach would be the ideal replacement. 

Rashid bowled 26 wicket-less overs in the whole Test match and perhaps shouldn't even be playing ahead of a specialist cricketer in Leach. 

"There is a question about Rashid," Hussain told Sky Sports News, "Root only bowled him for seven overs on day three and then Windies' part-time spinner [Roston Chase] gets 8-60 on day four. Leach is more at you all the time, so they might go for him over Rashid."

The former skipper also talked about struggling opener Keaton Jennings, who has been a proven failure either side of his two tons in Mumbai and Galle. 

"Jennings at the top of the order is also vulnerable - his playing of seam has been poor, so do they keep him in the side?" Nasser said before suggesting Joe Denly's name for the role alongside Rory Burns, "Denly has not had a lot of cricket recently because of the way schedules are with no games in between, and he has been batting in the middle order for Kent in [County Championship] Division Two."

"My gut feel is that the person England really want to come in to play in the Ashes is Jason Roy - but you can't just fly Roy out here. This is the quandary they have. They might stick with Jennings and then hope that Roy has early season form - but Roy bats in the middle order for Surrey as well. So there are problems."

"England have been very good recently, winning eight out of nine Tests [before the Barbados Test] so it's not a time for absolute panic and doom and gloom - but they have some flaws," he concluded. 

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 29 Jan, 2019

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