England captain Joe Root has said that he trusts the bowlers chosen for the West Indies tour to fill the big shoes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad. The right-handed batter added that winning in the Caribbean is a challenging prospect for them as well.

However, England left everyone in shock by omitting their two most successful Test bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, for the Test series against the West Indies. However, the ECB’s interim managing director Andrew Strauss defended the decision as well. He said that it’s not the end of their career, who have 1177 Test wickets between them.

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“No. It is important that we look forward in this series with excitement. When opportunities come around in Test cricket, you grab them. I am fully confident that Broad and Anderson’s replacements are in a really good place to do that. They can grab their chance and become more senior. To show what they are capable of in slightly new roles with the new ball in hand,” Joe Root said, as quoted by Sky Sports.

England, who announced a 12-member squad for the first Test, with Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Mark Wood and Chris Woakes as their pace bowlers. Ollie Robinson will miss the game, as he failed to recover from his injury as well.

Joe Root said: “It is important that we see how the wicket changes. It changed in practice yesterday – the amount of water that was on it. It will be interesting to look at it today to see how it has changed. Then we will make a decision off the back of that.”

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“I know that I can offer something to this team in terms of spin. This is an opportunity for all of us to prove a point. Historically, this isn’t an easy place for England to play. That is an opportunity for the group – to come away winning would be a huge achievement,” Joe Root concluded.