Anderson told to get

SIR Andrew Strauss believes the decision to drop James Anderson and Stuart Broad will help the England team develop, but insists they were not too strong for Joe Root to manage.

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The leading wicket-takers were shock omissions for next month's tour of the West Indies when the squad was announced on Tuesday.

Strauss, who is interim managing director of England men's cricket, caretaker head coach Paul Collingwood and lead scout James Taylor made the call to discard the duo for the three Tests in the Caribbean.

“I don't think so, no," Strauss said when asked if the pair were too strong for Root to handle. "If that's the case they wouldn't have played for the last 17, 18-odd years

"It was a very hard conversation (with them). All I can say is I hope they understood the thinking behind it and what we're trying to achieve here and also that they got the message very strongly that this isn't the end for them.

“We want them fired up and ready to go in the summer and putting their names forward for selection.