Head coach Peter Moores has insisted assistant coach Paul Farbrace shoud not feel obligated to miss England’s series against Sri Lanka in May and June.
Farbrace ended a brief tenure with the Sri Lankans, which was highlighted by Asia Cup and World Twenty20 titles, recently. He has since joined the English amid a major revamp in the wake of a five-nil Test series defeat to Australia.
“I don’t think he should miss the Sri Lanka tour. Paul has made his decision and he has come in. One of the key things was for him to be in at the start of something new,” said Moores.
“Of course, I understand why some people are uncomfortable, but the key message – and I am sure Paul won’t mind me saying – is that he loved his time in Sri Lanka.
“He has been there twice and he went back because he loved the people, he loved the way they played their cricket and some of those senior players he has a great relationship with.”
All-rounder Ben Stokes and seamer Stuart Broad, meanwhile, have been exluded from England’s squad for Friday’s one-off ODI against Scotland at Mannofield Park in Aberdeen. Stokes is nursing a hand injury, while Broad has been sidelined by tendonitis in the knee.
“I don’t think Ben will miss the entire season. They are very confident about how he’s progressing. The impression I have is that they are not saying his recovery isn’t going to plan. It is going in stages as everything does so we have to just go with it,” added Moores.
“Obviously Broad is having a break to recharge and get his niggles sorted with a view to him playing a couple of rounds of county cricket but he is struggling for the ODI series. With all these things we will have to monitor how it progresses, but at the moment, we are looking at the Tests for Broad.”
