Former England spinner Graeme Swann has said that England made a mistake in not picking Stuart Broad in the first Test against West Indies.
Former England spinner Graeme Swann said that England "blunted" their own bowling attack by not picking Stuart Broad for their first Test against the West Indies. The hosts lost the match by four wickets after going in with a pace attack comprising James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and stand-in captain Ben Stokes.
"A fast bowler who can bowl 25 overs a day, never bowls a bad ball day-in day-out at the same pace, that is Stuart Broad," said Swann on Sony Ten Pit Stop that was aired on the network's Facebook page.
Swann said that Broad was the kind of bowler who can bowl long spells accurately while the likes of Archer and Wood can recharge their batteries and come back for short, pacy spells.
"He is the foil for James Anderson and the reason why he takes so many wickets at the other end.
"Instead of realising that, England picked Jofra Archer and Mark Wood who are the same type of bowlers. Blitz bowlers who bowl five overs super-fast and blast people out, England picked them both and they end up having to do the donkey's work.
"So they were not as quick or effective. England blunted their whole attack by not picking Stuart Broad. If you want to know how to beat anybody as an England team you pick Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson together while they are still walking. Pick them together for goodness' sake."
Swann also said that England may have underestimated the West Indies due to the latter's defeat to India in the Caribbean. It was the last series that West Indies played in the longest format and they lost the first Test by 318 runs and the second by 257 runs.
"You have to remember that England were not watching that series, they were playing the Ashes at the time. But I was there and we saw that it was an Indian bowling lineup in unbelievable form," said Swann.
"Jasprit Bumrah was incredible in that series. That Indian bowling attack would have beaten anybody at any stage. I think England, because they didn't study that as well as they could have, they underestimated the West Indies and picked the wrong team."
