Flower defends Anderson stance

Coach Andy Flower has defended his decision to leave James Anderson out of the England side to face West Indies at Edgbaston.

The Lancastrian has been superb in the first two Tests against the men from the Caribbean and has been instrumental in England opening up an unassailable 2-0 lead.
And, with the series already over as a contest, Flower and the selectors took the decision to leave the 29-year-old out of the Birmingham match to make sure he is fresh and raring to go with so much cricket set to be played over the next few months.
There were some discerning voices from sections of the media, however, who feel that England should always select their best starting XI for every Test, and the player himself admitted his disappointment at the news.
But Flower has backed his own judgement and believes that it is important to look at the bigger picture to keep his top stars fit for upcoming events.
"If it had been 1-1 going into this third Test, Jimmy would have played," he said. "He is not badly injured and he could play this Test if we wanted him to. But it's 2-0 and we've won the series already.
"These types of decisions are made for the good of the team but also they will extend the careers of bowlers like Anderson.
"I understand the reasons why he is disappointed but it is beneficial to him in the long run."