India vs England: Unrealistic to expect seamers to play all five Tests, says Stuart Broad

By PTI News  |  First Published Jul 30, 2018, 11:31 AM IST

At the back end of their careers, 36-year-old Anderson took a six-week break to get rid of his shoulder injury while 32-year-old Broad had limped off during a county match earlier this season

They are coming back from long lay-offs and England team management, which is concerned about the workload management of James Anderson and Stuart Broad is mulling to rotate the duo during five Test series against India.

At the back end of their careers, 36-year-old Anderson took a six-week break to get rid of his shoulder injury while 32-year-old Broad had limped off during a county match earlier this season.

"It will depend on tosses, pitches, workloads. If (there are) two Tests of 250 overs in the field each, it's unrealistic to think your seam bowlers will play five Tests in six weeks. But if you have a Test, where you bowl them out in 80 or 60 overs, that changes your thinking," Broad told reporters during an interaction.

"If the pitches turn square and the spinners do a lot of the work, you might not bowl so much but come on when the ball starts to reverse swing, so sometimes your workloads can be higher if it is green and nibbling," Broad added.

The senior speedster also revealed that team management has already conveyed that rotation of seamers is on cards.

"I think there has already been small conversations saying don't be disheartened if you are left out for a Test match. It's not a personal attack or dropping, it's management of your bowlers to make sure we give ourselves the best chance," Broad explained about the rationale behind rotation with five Tests squeezed in six weeks.

The bowler said that he doesn't want a situation where he is dropped for poor form.

"I won't get to the stage where I am left out at say, Lord's, and go back and play county cricket. It's you're missing out, fresh bowlers come in, you stay around [the squad], keeping talking, stay part of the unit so it's only natural to expect small changes throughout five Test matches but the bowlers have to be able to take it," Broad said.

Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.

click me!