Sport : Cricket

ROTATION FOR ENGLAND BOWLERS

19th June 2012, 11:28pm

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Stuart Broad: Rested for Headingley clash

Stuart Broad: Rested for Headingley clash

England will rest first-choice bowlers Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann for the third and final NatWest Series match against West Indies at Headingley.

In their place - with the series already won - there are call-ups for paceman Stuart Meaker and spinner James Tredwell.

England clinched the series by taking an unassailable 2-0 lead with an eight-wicket win at The Oval on Tuesday.

The final fixture on Friday therefore presents an opportunity for Surrey's Meaker, Kent off-spinner Tredwell - in as a like-for-like replacement for Swann - and Warwickhsire's Chris Woakes.

Woakes was already in England's squad as cover for Jade Dernbach, after the latter was offered the option of compassionate leave for the remainder of the series following his friend and Surrey team-mate Tom Maynard's death on Monday.

Dernbach is to remain available for selection, however.National selector Geoff Miller said: "The fact that we have already won the NatWest Series means we are able to take the opportunity to rest three players ahead of next week's series against Australia and take a closer look at players who are likely to feature in our limited-overs planning going forward."

It is the second time England have opted to make voluntary changes this summer, with much debate over their decision to stand down James Anderson, and later Broad, from the final Test against the Windies.

But team director Andy Flower was quick to offer a lengthy defence of that decision, indicating that with the schedule as packed as it is such rotation would be a necessary part of England's future across the formats.

With a one-day series against Australia as well as a trio of series against South Africa in the second part of the season, England are keen to ease the workload on players who play Test, ODI and Twenty20 cricket - as Anderson, Broad, Swann and Bresnan all do.

Kevin Pietersen retired earlier this month after deciding he could not continue to play in every format and was not appeased by England's plans to include him in their rotation policy.

Just as Anderson's resting from the Test arena was not welcomed by everyone, this decision has already attracted disapproval.

Test Match Special commentator Jonathan Agnew is a notable critic but found his latest Twitter intervention on the subject challenged by Broad.

Agnew wrote: "Who will buy advance tickets for final Test/ODI of a series when there is a good chance you won't see 1st team?

"Once a sport stops picking its best team it loses integrity. Players/fans/rights holders. England caps are precious."

Although Anderson was frustrated by being rested, Broad appears to be more understanding of the reasons and defended the ECB's policy.

"Would you prefer players careers to finish early through injury by playing every game put in the schedule by people in suits?," he Tweeted.

"Players hate missing games. It is just unrealistic to play every game and be at your best."

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