Ian Botham wants ‘tired and jaded’ Broad rested for Kolkata Test – Cricket News Update
Former England skipper Ian Botham has asked the English selectors to rest the struggling fast bowler, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, which gets underway at Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow, December 5, 2012.
Broad, 26, has endured a tough time in the subcontinent thus far, and after having played in both the Tests against India on the tour, he is yet to take a wicket.
After going wicketless in the first Test at Ahmedabad, Broad bowled 12 costly overs in the first innings in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AN-Cook-c1026, in the second innings.
Botham, a veteran of 102 Tests and 116 One Day Internationals, labelled the gangling paceman as "tired" and "jaded", and insisted that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 with an ideal chance to rest struggling Broad.
"Stuart Broad is way off the mark at the moment. Why that is, I don't know. He hasn't actually performed for a little while now, by his own standards. He knows that - only he knows why," Botham told Sky Sports News.
"Maybe he just needs a break. He's a young lad - relatively young. He has had a lot of work over the last three or four years. Now is maybe the time to rest him. He is well down on his pace," observed the former English skipper.
Finn missed the opening two fixtures of the ongoing four-match series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MS-Dhoni-c2028 and men due to a thigh strain, which he had picked up during the opening tour match against India A, in Mumbai, in late October.
However, the 23-year-old http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Middlesex-c817 seamer bowled two spells in the nets without any discomfort during a practice session at Eden Gardens on Monday, and declared himself fit for selection on Wednesday. Whilst all other England seamers have struggled to make an impact in the series so far, Botham hoped for Finn to “blast a couple of wickets out” in Kolkata.
The fourth and final Test of the series, currently locked one win apiece, will be played at Nagpur, from December 13 to 17.
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