James Anderson and Stuart Broad ‘could be content’ with the absence of West Indies series

James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been axed for England’s Caribbean tour and the sailors have not had it easy during the series so far due to lifeless pitches

former England Bowler Steven Finn joked about it James Anderson and Stuart Broad Could actually be quite happy to have missed the ongoing series against them West Indies.

Finn made the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that given the unresponsive pitches the series has played on so far, the pair might actually “be quietly pleased” not to have been picked. Speaking on BT Sport, Finn said: “I think Broad and Anderson, sitting at home, could be quietly satisfied that they didn’t have to have a bowl on that pitch, although the contenders that they are I’m sure they are formulating plans how they would have tried to counter that wicket.”

While Finn’s comments may have been ironic, they do highlight an issue with the pitches we’ve seen on this tour so far. Accordingly CricVizno test series in the Caribbean since 2006 has had a flatter incline than this one.

And the fast Kemar Roach of the West Indies was particularly critical of the surfaces, describing them as “dead tracks”. Roach tells BBC test match special: “The pitches in the Caribbean are a bit worrying.

“Fast bowling is no longer fun. There is no pitch where you want to perform as a fast bowler. It’s just dead stretches now.

“It’s a bit of a concern for me as a fast bowler, we have a good group of fast bowlers going forward. They need to have a discussion about this and what we can do to improve the pitches and bring cricket back to life in the Caribbean.”

After the end of day four, England debutant Saqib Mahmood admitted he was “glad to get off the field. It’s been a long couple of days in the dirt,” he told BT Sport.

“It’s my first Red Ball game since December and I was happy to get off the field today! A bit of backward momentum came in.

“It’s pretty slow, so both edges aren’t really in play. It’s more about getting the stumps and front pad into play. I was just trying to stay disciplined. When I wasn’t taking wickets, I was trying not to make runs. “

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