Manchester, July 16 (IANS) Former English speedster Sajid Mahmood reacted sharply to England's selection for the second Test and cannot fathom the reason behind James Andersen's omission from the 13-man squad ahead of the crucial tie that will be played at Old Trafford in Machester from Thursday.

Speaking to fans in a unique chat show 'Q20' on GloFans official Twitter handle, Mahmood said, "Unless James Anderson is injured, I just can't get my head around him being left out.
The forecast is overcast and with rain over the five days of the Test match, conditions are perfect for James Anderson.

"He is England's leading wicket-taker in history and with Old Trafford being his home ground where he knows the conditions of the wicket more than anyone else, I just can't think of any other reason other than injury for him to be left out. Imagine James Andersen won't be bowling from the James Andersen end," Mahmood added.

The iconic three-match Test series marked the return of international cricket after nearly four months due to the coronavirus pandemic. After losing the opening Test, England will be eager to draw level but in the absence of Andersen, it will be interesting to see who will be given the responsibility of leading the English pace battery.

Owais Shah and Sajid Mahmood have joined the bandwagon in continuation to cricketing legends David Gower and Waqar Younis to participate in direct chat sessions with fans in a freewheeling chat session called ‘Q20' that is available on Twitter platform of @glofansofficial. The players will be answering the fans throughout the Test series before and after the match.

--IANS bbh/