Ask Nasser: If Stuart Broad and James Anderson retired now, which bowlers would take over the mantle?

How big a blow is Ben Stokes’ injury for England?

Sean Maxwell, Dover

Well he’ll miss the New Zealand Tests, the white-ball stuff against Sri Lanka, and possibly some of the matches against Pakistan. He will also miss out on the knowledge and experience gained at the IPL. He won’t want it this way, he gets bored easily, but as soon as I heard an operation was involved, I knew he had to take it seriously. I remember when Allan Donald broke Paul Prichard’s finger badly, it was never the same for him. There may just be a silver lining for England and one of their all-format stars, however. It means that he will return refreshed for the India Tests, the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. In the meantime they may well look at Jos Buttler, Sam Curran and Chris Woakes to shore up the middle order against New Zealand.

If Stuart Broad and James Anderson retired now, which bowlers would take over the mantle? 

Gary Jefferies, Markyate

I said on Sky that Stuart and James were once-in-a-generation players and then I wondered if you can have two of that! Yes they are England’s greatest opening partnership, but they are not irreplaceable. Trueman and Statham, and Willis and Botham were replaced. In Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Woakes, Ollie Robinson and Olly Stone they have a good crop still.

Should Adil Rashid be in the Test squad for Australia? 

John Cole, Hertfordshire

I’m sure he’d bowl well there, and also score handy lower-order runs, but it’s a tough tour, and you have to 100 per cent want to be there. He has doubts about his shoulder and that’s fair enough. They’ll have to look at Jack Leach and Moeen Ali, with Matt Parkinson an outside bet, although Moeen’s record isn’t great there. It’s not an easy place for fingers spinners, although Australia have Nathan Lyon, one of the greatest ever, who does so well because of his bounce and over-spin.

Did you enjoy the opening matches in this season’s County Championship?

Barbara Seymour, Chester

Yes. People say it is played too early, but actually there were some hundreds, and some big totals. The Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire and Essex v Durham matches were absolute crackers, and there were some things to please the England selectors, like Ollie Pope’s double-century, and Ollie Robinson’s bowling. The digital coverage was great too, like Lancashire split-screening Matt Parkinson’s wonder wicket of Adam Rossington against Northamptonshire alongside Shane Warne’s ball of the century.

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Was the Lewis McManus stumping the worst bit of cheating/gamesmanship you have seen?

Bernie Llewellyn, Chepstow

It didn’t look good. It wasn’t good. He will regret it. A few years ago of course he may have got away with it, but thanks to the brilliant streaming services everything is out there now. I wish that Hampshire had called Hassan Azad back. Something should be done, whether it’s a statement from the player or whatever. I thought Azad’s tweet was dignified.

The Women’s Hundred will be on YouTube – how big a moment is that for the game?

Nick Clifton, Aberdeen

My daughter plays, and I coach a women’s side, so I am delighted. Women’s sport has taken a big hit during the pandemic – India didn’t play a match for 12 months after finishing runners-up in the T20 World Cup in 2020, and their IPL took a back seat. It will be life-changing for women’s cricket, as it desperately needs exposure, but on the flip side there will be more analysis, so it’s important standards keep improving. 

What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to play anything on leg stump or off his pads? 

Moshe Lopian, Israel

Yes Moshe, this is why the pros are so good at hitting balls off their legs and recreational players miss a lot. It’s all about having the right balance and not a heavy head, which topples over to the offside. That is why Graham Gooch used to do his ‘nodding head’ thing, to make sure his eyes were level with the flight of the ball. I’d suggest opening up your stance a little… and watching some old footage of Goochie on YouTube.

Did you meet the Duke of Edinburgh?

Rachel Loveridge, Telford

Yes, Essex went to Buckingham Palace a couple of times as county champions and we met him and the Queen for handshakes and pleasantries. I knew he was a supporter of the game, so cricket has lost a good friend, but I didn’t actually know how good a cricketer he was until I read the obits and watched the tributes. He looked a handy bowler.

This article was published in the May edition of The Cricketer - the home of the best cricket analysis and commentary, covering the international, county, women's and amateur game