England coach Matthew Roberts has stated that he is sorry to lose spin all-rounder Simon Barrow from his Test side. In a pre-match interview he had this to say:
"He's a legend of the game, and one of the best ever bowlers to play. Although he was an all-rounder, he merits a place in the side for his batting or bowling alone. I'm sad about this loss, but Drew Davie has been working hard for years to earn his place, and i'm confident he can perform well."
So just how good was Simon Barrow? Well he has played for the World XI in both Tests and ODI's, and he is the only player in the history of the game to score 8000 runs and take 500 wickets.
In other news, Matthew Roberts has also expressed his delight at his debutants eagerness to perform well.
"I am thrilled with the passion of players such as, Zoahib Ahmed and Shaun Briggs; It's great to see such enthuiasm in players as young as them."
He also went on to talk about Kev Mead, who misses a test for the first time in 34 matches.
"Kev is a fantastic performer for England, and his Test career is far from over. He himself knows that he hasn't been performing well, and he is determined to win his place back"
Mead, who has 247 Test match wickets to his name, understands that he is nearing the end of his career, and he also said that success for England is more important than him.