‘He Was Forced Out Because Of His Age’: David Lloyd Hits Out At England Cricket Board For Retiring James Anderson

“So, it’s farewell to one of the greatest. The sad thing about Jimmy Anderson’s departure is that he’s bowling as well as ever. Accuracy, pace, stamina, he’s shown all those qualities and he’s still taking wickets,” Lloyd wrote in his column for Daily Mail.

“They say they are moving him on with next year’s Ashes in mind. I say, pick your best team. He was forced out because of his age. In this era of inclusivity, it takes the biscuit that someone has been stopped for that reason,” Lloyd added.

The former England cricketer said that as England look for a replacement for Anderson for the second Test, Gus Atkinson is likely to be left out despite his 12-fer in the previous match due to his injury concerns over the years. Dillon Pennington might replace Anderson in the second Test.

“My issue is with the International Cricket Council. Come on, share the game’s wealth. International cricket should be contested by equals, but the problem now is some are more equal than others. I’d ask the big three countries to consider how they’d feel if the shoe was on the other foot,” Lloyd said on England facing a Windies side that seems way behind in quality and calibre.