England fast-bowler Stuart Broad said that his sacking from the team due to travel to the Caribbean for a three-match Test series in March was communicated to him via a phone call with the interim director of cricket Andrew Strauss.
Broad’s former England captain conveyed the rationale behind the move taken by the stand-in selection committee to drop him and James Anderson, two of the nation’s leading Test wicket-takers ever, from the trip to West Indies.
The 35-year-old quick has now expressed his bitter disappointment over the decision, indicating that the axing has had an effect on his mental health as he is “waking up more confused” every morning and feeling “gutted” and “angrier” with each passing day.
“I am struggling to put things into context. It’s hard to do so when all you’ve had is a five-minute phone call and nothing else.”
”Not to big it up too much but it has affected my sleep. I said to my partner Mollie one morning that my body felt sore. She suggested that would be stress.”
No, I can’t pretend I am as good as gold, because I am not. It would be wrong to act like everything’s OK.”
Broad wrote in his column for the Daily Mail, making clear his opinion in the matter.
Ever since the move has come to light, Strauss and company have faced criticism from all over the globe for their decision as the move to leave out Broad and Anderson threatens to put an irrevocable halt to their careers. While Broad is aged 35, Anderson is 39. Both the veterans aren’t expected to be around in four years’ time when England strive to regain an away Ashes in Australia.
However, that isn’t the bone of contention. What has triggered the angry reactions to Strauss and the team’s decision is a general consensus that the two of England’s greatest-ever fast-bowlers deserve a better send-off than this.
In his defence, though, Strauss, who has taken over his post on an interim basis after the departure of Ashley Giles, said the idea is to provide England more pace options to choose from with the ambition to try and improve the team’s horrendous overseas record.
Strauss said Broad and Anderson could still be part of the full-time selection panel and head coach’s plans for the summer, but his job commands him to throw up choices for them with the future of the team in mind.
But Broad doesn’t seem in the mood to accept such explanations as he said his and Anderson’s current form stands the toughest scrutiny and they deserved to go to the West Indies.
While they could never really out-bowl the Australian pace battery in 4-0 Ashes drubbing, Anderson took his eight wickets at 23.37, and Broad bagged his haul of 13 scalps at 26.30 from three Tests apiece.
“I took 11 wickets in the final two Ashes matches, I have been Test match standard for a long time and, for the last eight years, you would say world class,” he said. “I could take being dropped if I had let my standards slip but facing up to being overlooked when they haven’t is another thing altogether.”
“And so, it makes it even more upsetting that they don’t see me part of their immediate plans, especially with a view to looking at a way of winning away from home, which was briefly explained to me,”
the 35-year-old added.
Broad said he is anxious and confused about his future at this stage and is awaiting the coming on board of a full-time director of cricket as well as the head coach in the due-to-be-appointed new selection panel so as to discuss the way forward.
