Michael Vaughan gives his verdict on England dropping James Anderson and Stuart Broad from their Test squad

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has shared his thoughts on the recently announced English Test squad for the West Indies tour. The England and Wales Cricket (ECB) surprised one and all after dropping veterans James Anderson and Stuart Broad from their 16-man Test outfit.

After the embarrassing 4-0 loss against Australia in the Ashes 2021-22, the selection panel comprising of Andrew Strauss, Paul Collingwood, and James Taylor sacked six other members who played in the Ashes, stating they are looking to build a team for the future.

Vaughan echoed the statements made by the selection panel and said he is happy to see the ECB is bringing the new culture away from Anderson and Broad. Vaughan said that sometimes irrespective of how good and senior someone is on the side, the management needs to move forward.

“England want 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 on 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,” the ex-England captain wrote in his column for Telegraph.

“I’m quite happy with this selection. They clearly feel that they need to move away from that pair. That’s the message – (captain) Joe Root, and his team want to build a new team without Broad and Anderson. The England management have seen something in the pair that has made them want to drop them,” he added.

Vaughan appreciated Strauss for coming up with a bold move and said the long term goal for England is to build such a side that can win in Australia.

“I think it’s smart what Andrew Strauss has done. The long-term goal is trying to build a team that can win in Australia. In the short-term, it might be that England are going to take a step back to potentially move forward in the future,” Vaughan added further.