‘Up in the air’ – England legend James Anderson has ‘stopped trying to make sense’ of West Indies snub

James Anderson has ‘stopped trying to make sense’ of England’s decision to drop him for the recent West Indies tour and admits his international career is ‘a bit up in the air’ as he has been kept in the dark about his Test future.

England made the controversial decision to drop their two leading wicket-takers for the trip to the Caribbean with both Anderson and Broad omitted from the Test squad.

The move can hardly be considered a success, with England slipping to a 1-0 defeat in the three-match series and pace bowlers Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood all struggling with either form or fitness.

Anderson has taken 173 wickets at 21.41 over the past five years – and 640 dismissals in 169 matches overall – and admits he is still baffled by his recent snub.

Asked if he understands the England and Wales Cricket Board’s decision, Anderson said at Lancashire’s pre-season media day: ‘Absolutely not.

‘I’ve stopped trying to make sense of it and just put it to one side. It was completely out of my control. It is what it is.

‘Something like this, for me, it’s quite a big deal because it came out of the blue. I still feel like I’m bowling well.

‘I was in the top-10 of the world rankings, so I feel like I’m doing a good job for the team. I feel I’ve got a lot to offer, not just on the field but off it.’

Interim director of cricket Sir Andrew Strauss, interim head coach Paul Collingwood and head scout James Taylor picked England’s 16-man squad for the West Indies series.

Both Anderson and Broad received what they described as brief phone calls from Strauss to explain their omissions, but Anderson has had barely any contact from the ECB since.

‘I’ve spoken to the head physio,’ the 39-year-old said. ‘It’s a bit strange because I’m