One of the most successful England skipper Naseer Hussain has questioned team management for their rotation policy in a recently concluded Test series against India where the visitors lost against Men in Blue by 3-1 and eventually failed to register a spot as other finalist who will play against Kiwis in the inaugural edition of World Test Championship final scheduled on 18th June 2021 at Southampton.
And despite the results not going their way, the England team-management stuck with their rotation policy and kept resting players throughout the series. After the first game, they rested veteran James Anderson despite his five-wicket haul in the first Test. Wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler was also rested for the last three games.
Naseer Hussain wrote in his column to Daily Mail that I am not against the rotation policy but the team management should understand that when they need to rotate their important players as series against India is equally important as Ashes and we can’t hide behind and give lame excuses that we have to play more Test matches this year so we will be constantly rotating players who are in rythem too as a part of the rotation policy.
“England’s biggest problem has not been selection or rest and rotation. It is a schedule that has given them 17 Tests, iconic tours of India and Australia, the Twenty20 World Cup and two IPLs in little more than a year. That is ridiculous,” Hussain wrote.
“So I agree with and understand the ECB looking after their players. They have a duty of care to them and they have done the right thing in having a policy that considers their mental health. But the issue is when you rotate and, as I’ve said before, this would not have been the time to rotate for me. In golfing terms, a Test series in India is one of your majors. England did not give themselves the best chance to compete by rotating now.
“Rishabh Pant smashing it all around Ahmedabad while Jos Buttler — an England player capable of doing the same thing — is sitting in a hotel room in the same city, being rested ahead of the white-ball matches, just doesn’t look right,” he added. “Don’t get me wrong. Every reason a player has missed any part of this winter’s cricket has been a very valid one. But every decision you make as a player has repercussions down the line. They do have to take responsibility for their decisions,” Hussain added.
