The 4th Test: Anderson-less England back Broad to lead the attack

Expectations running high as hosts look to claim the Ashes 3-1

NOTTINGHAM/ SYDNEY: Stuart Broad has been backed by captain Alastair Cook to lead the attack in the absence of James Anderson as England try to show they can win a major Test match without their all-time leading wicket-taker.

Anderson has been ruled out of Thursday’s fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge, Broad’s home ground, with a side injury suffered during England’s convincing eight-wicket win over Australia in the third Test at Edgbaston last week that put them 2-1 up in the five-match series.

That match saw Anderson take an Ashes-best 6-47 in Australia’s first innings as he again underlined his worth to England.

Since March 2008, when Anderson and Broad replaced Matthew Hoggard and Stephen Harmison in Wellington, England have played five Tests without Anderson, winning two, losing one and drawing two — with both of those victories coming away to lowly Bangladesh.

No wonder many Australian players have likened Anderson’s injury to the moment Australia pace great Glenn McGrath trod on a stray ball before the start of the 2005 Edgbaston Test and was ruled out with an ankle injury which also sidelined him from the fourth Test of that series, at Trent Bridge.



England won both matches McGrath missed that series as they regained the Ashes 2-1.

Broad, however, is no callow novice, with the 29-year-old having taken 299 wickets in 82 Tests.

“I don’t think there have been too many cases in history where a guy has 299 wickets and played 80-odd Tests and he’s waiting to lead the attack,” said Cook on Wednesday. “It’s a great moment for him in terms of his home ground and stuff.”

Now Durham quick Mark Wood in turn is set to replace Anderson provided he passes a fitness test on a longstanding ankle problem.

I won’t quit, says defiant Clarke

Defiant and angry Australian captain Michael Clarke vowed to keep playing after the Ashes series with England, with those suggesting he was finished talking “a complete load of rubbish”.

Pressure has been building on Clarke, who has a meagre Ashes series total of 94 runs in six innings at an average of under 19, with Australian media Tuesday saying he looked “lost” and knew the end was near.

“The criticisms of my game at the moment are deserved and I wouldn’t expect anything different, especially as the captain of the team,” he said in a column for Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. “But I think somebody said they could ‘see it in my eyes’ that I was finished after this series. That’s a complete load of rubbish.”

The 34-year-old, who has 28 Test centuries to his name, lashed out on the doubting voices saying, “People can certainly have a shot at me about my performance, but they can’t have a shot at me about my desire and my will to play this great game. I have no intention to walk away from cricket.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th,  2015.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.