Ever since early 2006 both James Anderson and Stuart Broad have had a presence in the ECB’s set up across all three international cricket formats and between them have over 500 international wickets. However, with both bowlers recuperating from injuries picked up in the summer, England are left without their two most prolific and threatening fast bowlers for a seven match ODI series in the sub-continent of Sri Lanka. This means the responsibilities of leading the attack could be given to any of the other five seam bowlers remaining on the tour.
Most people’s outright favourite to take one of the new white balls is the re-emerging talent of Steven Finn. Having regained his action and a substantial level of confidence with Middlesex, Finn looks to be back to his prime again and hopefully with enough of his pace and bounce to trouble the Sri Lankan order, and even with his recent previous shakes, he still could be the man to turn to when England need a wicket. Having played in numerous Ashes matches as well as a T20 world cup, he should be superbly equipped to deal with the climate as well as the pressure.
The only other pure fast bowler is the rising star, Harry Gurney. Having been given the nod this summer in white-ball cricket, he has shone in the England side, adding a new dimension to the bowling attack with his left arm swing bowling. Having been dismantled by Australia and Mitchell Johnson in the recent ashes, England saw what a new angle could achieve and by taking wickets against Scotland, Sri Lanka and India in the summer, he looks set to make a bang on his first tour away with the squad. He may be inexperienced, but as said before, his action and talent at bowling at the death are seen as priceless by the management team and selectors.
In addition to the ‘pure bowlers’, England are blessed with the depth in all-rounders currently in the squad. Many players can produce with the bat as well as the ball, meaning they have an increased chance of being used by the selectors.
Keeping on the discipline of bowling, Warwickshire man Chris Woakes is another young man to break onto the scene this summer. Having been already capped as an ODI and T20 player before the start of the summer, he looked to fill the boots of Tim Bresnan and be that bowler who could also contribute with runs as well as wickets. Chris’s main strength comes in his consistency of delivery, as he is able to constantly place the ball in a single spot and apply both in and out swing to confuse batsmen. His only issue is the lack of, or struggle for natural pace. Unlike Steven Finn for example, Woakes isn’t able to bowl at the high eighties or ninety miles-per-hour. Therefore sometimes his swing isn’t enough to tempt patient test match veterans. Apart from his pace issues, he is a complete all-rounder who has been in nearly every domestic final possible. His county experience should suit him perfectly at international level and I tip him to maybe recreate the role in which Andrew Flintoff once performed for the England team.
Other all-round options could also include Ben Stokes of Durham and Chris Jordan of Sussex. Both these players have played in the test squad this summer at the others expense, meaning we haven’t been able to really compare them against one another in the same conditions on the same day. They both bring similar qualities to the table, such as dynamic and aggressive one day stroke play, sharp and elusive fielders as well as genuine pace and a young positive vibe about them. Chris Jordan has been criticised at the beginning of his international career for a run-up which isn’t as smooth and consistent as it should be at that level. Whereas Stokes struggled with keeping his behaviour in line, having been kicked of a lions tour the previous year. Both bowlers look to be competing against each other as England would only really require one player with those characteristics, rather than two, and bowling is the only thing to tell them apart as what Stokes gives more with the bat, Jordan gives back in the slip cordon.
Either man would be a good choice for the squad, but like Woakes, Stokes has been around the county circuit for longer and has a growing reputation. For this reason I feel Stokes would give England a more dynamic bowling attack than Jordan.
All bowlers who have represented England this summer have done a good job after a difficult tour, making it hard to decide a future seam attack straight away.
Sooner or later Anderson and Broad will begin to edge towards retirement and it is a good strategy by the ECB to make sure there are men ready to step up and fill the boots of the future legends sooner rather than later.
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