The two-match Test series between England and New Zealand is starting on Wednesday at the Lord’s cricket ground. While New Zealand will see the series as a warm up before the World Test Championship Final on June 18, the English team is scheduled to host India for a five-match red ball series later in August.
However, on the eve of the series, former England batsman Kevin Peterson has advised the team to start looking for their own Ravindra Jadeja before they venture for the India series and then the Ashes against Australia in winters.
Calling Jadeja an “absolute superstar”, Peterson in a blog post said England must find an all-rounder like him who is a left-arm spinner while being good with the bat too.
“It frustrates me that there still isn’t an international-standard English left-arm spin bowler who bats,” the former England captain said in his blog.
Urging the England Cricket Board (ECB) to prioritise their investment for a Jadeja-like player, Peterson said “someone of that ilk is priceless” across all three formats.
“They must identify and properly develop a left-arm spin all-rounder or that department will always be a weakness,” he added.
The 40-year-old former smasher, known for his reverse sweep shots, advised emerging cricketers in England to copy Jadeja in order to have a long career in Test cricket.
Peterson said England is not considering a spinner against New Zealand in the first Test, and that reveals their bowling options.
Worried about the current injuries in the English team and the continuous experiment with players, he said England needs to have a settled batting order by the end of summer.
