Strauss defends decision to rest 'in form' Anderson for Edgbaston Test

London, June 7(ANI): England captain Andrew Strauss has defended the decision to rest in form fast bowler James Anderson for the final Test match against West Indies at Edgbaston, saying it would help his strike bowler in the longer run.

England, who are 2-0 up in the three-match series, have decided to give Anderson a break with a packed schedule in front of them, and reserve seamers Steven Finn and Graham Onions are raring to get an opportunity.

Anderson had expressed his displeasure on being dropped, but Strauss believes the decision to rest him will help him play for a longer time, and could help him avoid unnecessary injuries.

"Jimmy Anderson has missed out and with good reason. It's a tough thing for any player not to play in a Test but with this schedule as it is, you have to manage your resources cleverly," Sports24 quoted Strauss, as saying.

"The idea of rotating and resting is that they end up playing more, not less. The last thing you want is for someone to be playing to the extent that they're dead on their feet and get injured and are out for months," he added.

England's aim is to make sure Anderson is fully fit for the upcoming Test series against South Africa, where they will put their world No 1 ranking on the line, but Strauss insisted England were concentrating on the current series for now.

Strauss said: "South Africa is on the horizon but it's still on the horizon, not right here yet. For us to look too far ahead is generally a little bit dangerous." (ANI)