England have dropped James Anderson and Stuart Broad for their tour of the West Indies as part of a major shake-up of the troubled team.
Anderson, who has 640 Test wickets, and Broad, who has 537, are among eight players axed from the group that featured in England’s shambolic Ashes series loss in Australia.
England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has also been left out, while there are first call-ups for Durham opener Alex Lees and Yorkshire seamer Matthew Fisher.
Dawid Malan, Sam Billings, Dom Bess, Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed are the other players dropped.
Lancashire pair Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson are the remaining additions to the overhauled 16-man squad for the three-Test series.
Andrew Strauss, interim managing director of England men’s cricket, interim head coach Paul Collingwood and head scout James Taylor wielded the axe following one of England’s most embarrassing Test tours in recent memory.
Head coach Chris Silverwood, assistant Graham Thorpe and director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles had already been removed from their roles as a result of the on- and off-field turmoil in Australia.
“With the start of a new cycle, it has allowed the selection panel to refresh the Test squad with a particular focus on competing away from home,” Strauss said of the ruthless cull.
“We felt that it was time to draw a line after the Ashes defeat, look forward and give some impetus with an influx of new players,” the former England captain added.
Strauss insisted that Anderson and Broad could still have a part to play for England in the future despite their unexpected exiles.
“In respect of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, I want to emphasise this does not mean the end for them as England players,” he said.
“We feel that it is important to look at some exciting new bowling potential and give some added responsibility to other players who have featured previously.
“No one doubts the quality and experience that James and Stuart bring to the England set-up.
“It will be up to the new managing director and permanent head coach to decide on whether they will be involved this summer and beyond.
“This selection of this squad is the start of a process and a journey to get England Test cricket back to where it needs to be, and the hard work starts now.”
England’s first Test against the West Indies in Antigua starts on 8 March.
England squad: Joe Root (c), Jonathan Bairstow, Zak Crawley, Matthew Fisher, Ben Foakes (wk), Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Alex Lees, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
© Agence France-Presse
