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Pietersen tells England to drop Anderson or Broad with Archer a doubt for Newlands

Jofra Archer is a doubt for the Newlands Test but Kevin Pietersen says England should drop one of their new-ball pair, Stuart Broad or James Anderson.

By Jamie Smith
James Anderson and Stuart Broad

London, January 1: Kevin Pietersen says either James Anderson or Stuart Broad should be dropped for the Newlands Test against South Africa, but Jofra Archer is a doubt for England.

England were soundly beaten in the first match of the four-Test series after captain Joe Root won the toss and put the hosts in, South Africa easing to a 107-run victory inside four days.

With Jack Leach among 11 players struck down by illness, England played without a frontline spinner at Centurion but they are expected to rejig their attack for the second Test, which starts on Friday (January 3) in Cape Town.

Archer took five wickets in South Africa's second innings while Anderson, England's all-time leading wicket-taker, managed only a single scalp in each dig on his return to Test action after injury.

However, Archer could not bowl on Wednesday due to a sore right elbow, though the fast bowler joined in with fielding drills and was fit enough to bat in the nets.

Root's side were rolled for 181 and 268 at Centurion and their former star Pietersen feels either Broad or Anderson should be sacrificed to strengthen a struggling batting line-up.

"England HAVE TO drop either Broad or Anderson for Newlands & play another batter, if they want to win...!" the South Africa-born former batsman wrote on Twitter.

Leach's Somerset team-mate Dom Bess is a spinning option for England, while Lancashire's uncapped leggie Matt Parkinson, 23, is also in the squad.

Reports have suggested England are likely to replace Anderson with Bess, with Ollie Pope also in line to return in the middle order at the expense of Jonny Bairstow after recovering from illness.

Story first published: Wednesday, January 1, 2020, 21:00 [IST]
Other articles published on Jan 1, 2020