England’s priorities questioned

CRICKET

NEW DELHI: As if their comprehensive defeat in the second test against India was not bad enough, England’s rigid rotation policy has now prompted complaints that test cricket is not their priority.

The team embarked on their Asia tour having left out speedster Jofra Archer and allrounder Ben Stokes for the Sri Lanka leg, as part of their policy to keep multiformat players fresh.

Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood were rested for the first two tests against India.

Jos Buttler returned home after the first match in India and Moeen Ali was granted leave after playing the second test, in which he was England’s most successful bowler as well as their secondinnings top scorer.

Moeen will rejoin the team in India ahead of the fivematch twenty20 series next month, but former England captain Michael Vaughan questioned the tinkering with the squad.

‘‘After 2019 we were told England’s priority would be winning back the Ashes,’’ Vaughan wrote in the Daily Telegraph.

‘‘But in four test matches this year they have already used 19 players. That to me, shows test cricket is not the priority.’’

Vaughan asked why Buttler and Bairstow were not rested from the twenty20 games instead.

England have maintained the rotation policy was aimed at limiting a player’s time in biosecure bubbles.

Australia spin great Shane Warne was also baffled, asking on Twitter ‘‘why England decided to rest players with 7/8 (days) till the next one. Is that not enough time to recover? Needed 2 weeks? Really?’’

The third test, a daynight game, begins in Ahmedabad on February 24.