Anderson hoping to partner Broad in search of series win

MANCHESTER, (Reuters) - England’s most successful bowler James Anderson feels he and Stuart Broad should be paired together to lead the bid for a series win in the decisive test against the West Indies.

The hosts are spoilt for choice ahead of tomorrow’s start of the third test at Old Trafford with Anderson, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood all looking to return to the team.

However, Broad, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes all made positive contributions to England’s 113-run victory in the second test, which ended on Monday.

A schedule of six matches in seven weeks against the West Indies and then Pakistan means England have had to rotate their bowlers and Anderson does not underestimate the difficult choices facing coach Chris Silverwood and captain Joe Root.

“I presume the best three players will play but it’s going to be a difficult decision for Joe and Chris and there will be some disappointed guys,” Anderson told a news conference yesterday.

There have been suggestions that Anderson, who turns 38 next week and has a record 587 wickets for England, and 34-year-old Broad will likely not bowl again together but Anderson said he hoped this was not the case.

“Our record together speaks for itself and I’d really like to think that if we are both fit and England are picking their best bowling attack then we’d both be in that,” he said.

“It’s a good position to be in because it shows we have strength in depth,” Anderson added.

England’s camp is still dealing with aches and pains after the exertions of the second test, also in Manchester, where they levelled the series after losing the first in Southampton.

“There is a bit of stiffness with the bowlers but that’s inevitable,” Anderson said.

“It’s about being smart with the practice now and going into Friday really fresh.

“We have a great opportunity to win the series and we want to kick on from last test’s win. If we keep looking to improve I’m sure we’ll put in another good performance this week.”

TOKYO, (Reuters) - Tokyo Olympics organisers are preparing to host the Games next year even if the global coronavirus pandemic hasn’t eased substantially, organising committee chief executive Toshiro Muto told Reuters yesterday.

The Tokyo Olympics had been scheduled to start on Friday but were put back to 2021 because of the pandemic.

Since then, organisers have scrambled to rearrange an event that has been almost a decade in the making whilst trying to ensure next year’s Olympics are safe for athletes, officials and supporters.

Muto said that although organisers hoped the threat posed by the virus could be reduced, nobody knows what the situation will be when the Games start on July 23, 2021.

Organisers are assuming coronavirus will remain a major problem.

“It is rather difficult for us to expect that the coronavirus pandemic is contained,” Muto told Reuters. “But if we can deliver the Games in Tokyo with coronavirus, Tokyo can be the role model for the next Olympic Games or other various international events.”