BRILLIANT OFF-BREAK
England have finally decided to give their star men a vital rest
BEN STOKES and Jofra Archer have been rested from the England Test side to face Sri Lanka with their priority the India series that follows.
There are recalls for Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali for the two-match tour that leads straight into India, while Essex batsman Dan Lawrence earns his first senior call-up for a tour.
In a sign that cricket chiefs are actually walking a good game and not just talking one, when it comes to player well-being and workload, the World Cup-winning duo are the first to take a seat. But they won’t be the last. Jos Buttler (above left) and Sam Curran (above right) will be next, as they are due to miss two out of the four Tests in India, so the multiformat players who have also played in the IPL get enough time away from bubble life to stay fresh.
Even though 2019 was a seminal year for English cricket with a World Cup and Ashes the main events, 2021 and early 2022 is shaping up to be the busiest 14 months the game has seen with 21
Tests and 31 white ball games to be crammed in.
So even though tickets for matches next summer have been flying out of box offices around the country, you aren’t guaranteed to see the very best in action because one by one there will be downtime for the busiest of them.
“Player welfare is very important and something we take very seriously as an organisation,” said national selector Ed Smith.
“You cannot expect to play the same XI every time and for those guys to get exhausted and jaded. There must be room for sensible rotation in and out of the squad.
“Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler – those kind of guys will have to have blocks away from the tours this winter. The way to think about this winter is it’s three blocks of two Tests.”
Also missing from the first block is opener Rory Burns, who will remain at home for the birth of his first child, creating a possible spot for Bairstow at three if Zak Crawley moves to open.
Despite his hundred on debut in Sri Lanka and his outstanding glovework to the spinners, Ben Foakes is not due to take the gloves from Buttler until his break in India.
Mark Wood and Olly Stone bolster the pace attack, while the return of Moeen could put a bit of pressure on Dom Bess, who was the No.1 choice in 2020 but has little subcontinent experience.