ADELAIDE, Australia // England will rest Test regulars Kevin Pietersen, James Anderson and Graeme Swann from the five one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against Australia following the Ashes series.
Head coach Andy Flower was quoted by English media Tuesday as saying the omission of Pietersen, Anderson and Swann is designed to allow them to prepare for England’s busy playing schedule over the next 15 months leading up to the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
“Our players that play all three forms of the game cannot play constantly 12 months of the year,” Flower was quoted as saying by The Guardian newspaper. “Guys like Anderson and Pietersen are in their early 30s now and prized assets, and we need to look after our prized assets.
“From a physical perspective they are always dealing with various niggles and sometimes they need to be taken out of competition.”
Test captain Alastair Cook will lead the England ODI squad, according to the reports, with Stuart Broad again captaining the Twenty20 side.
Australia leads the five-match Ashes series 2-0 ahead of the third test starting Friday at Perth. England will play Australia in the ODI and T20 series in January and February.