Broad looks set to make way
Stuart Broad has emerged as the man most likely to make way for recalled Steve Harmison as England seek revenge on South Africa in the third Test at Edgbaston, starting Wednesday.
National selector Geoff Miller has hinted that Broad may be rested after a long, hard summer while in-form Durham pace man Harmison is unleashed on the Proteas.
Harmison was left out of the squad after the first Test in New Zealand in March, but has won over the selectors with a series of impressive performances for his county.
Darren Pattinson, a surprise late call-up for the second Test, is left out of the squad, while Harmison is expected to be drafted straight into the action at Edgbaston.
Despite impressing with the bat at number eight, Broad looks likely to be the unfortunate casualty after failing to make inroads in the South African batting order.
“It is tough,” Miller said yesterday: “Stuart is a young lad and he has done really, really well.
“But at some stage you have to look at the situation, you do not want burnout, and there is a lot of cricket to be played. He’s involved in both five-day and one-day cricket and there is lots and lots of that.
“It is a case of nurturing him and making sure we get the best out of him now if possible but over a longer period of time as well.”
Harmison is the leading wickettaker in division one of the County Championship and Miller insists there is no risk involved in offering the 29-year-old a recall with England 1-0 down in the series.
“We wouldn’t have put him in if we thought there was a risk,” he added. “He now looks like the bowler he was a couple of years ago when he was striking fear into opposition batsmen.”
Selectors are also pondering whether to revert to a four-man bowling attack which would mean a recall for Harmison’s Durham team-mate Paul Collingwood, who was left out of the second Test at Headingley.