London, Aug 3 (IANS) Former England spinner Graeme Swann trained his guns towards national selectors and stated veteran fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad should always play together. He even likened the duo to infamous American criminal couple of the early 1900s, Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Chestnut Barrow a.k.a Bonnie and Clyde.
Broad was left out of the first #raisethebat Test against West Indies and he later conceded having retirement thoughts while sitting on the bench.
England lost the first Test in Southampton and Broad returned for the final two Tests in Manchester and guided the team to a series win, and also won the Man of the Series award.
As for Anderson, he was left out of the second Test. The duo returned to the playing XI together in the final Test at Old Trafford, starring in England’s impressive victory.
“Jimmy and Broady go together like Morecambe and Wise or Bonnie and Clyde,” Swann was quoted as saying by mirror.co.uk. “I have to be careful because the selectors are friends, but sometimes they don’t use their loaves.
“How stupid did it look to break up England’s most successful bowling partnership of all-time when we lost that first Test match?
“Jimmy and Broady have formed one of the most successful bowling double acts Test cricket has known. Why would you want to chuck it out before its sell-by date?
“I can understand the attraction of 90mph pace, and both Jofra and Woody are huge assets. But I’m sorry, you don’t discard blokes with 500 Test wickets lightly” he added.
Anderson and Broad are the only Englishmen to scalp in excess of 500 Test wickets in the longest format. Only seven cricketers have achieved this feat overall in Test cricket.
After Anderson achieved the feat in 2017, Broad did it in the recently-concluded series against West Indies. Together, they have featured in 117 Tests and scalped 895 wickets for ‘The Three Lions’.
–IANS
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