‘You have to feel for him' – Michael Vaughan disappointed over Jack Leach’s exclusion in the Lord’s Test against New Zealand

New Zealand are up against England in the first Test match of the two-match series at the Lord’s in London. It is no secret that England produces greener pitches that provide assistance to the seamers and hardly have anything for the spinners.

Looking at the green surface at the Lord’s, England decided to exclude the ace spinner Jack Leach from their side to make way for four main speedsters. The highly-anticipated encounter between New Zealand and England saw visiting skipper Kane Williamson winning the toss and deciding to put the runs on the board.

James Bracey and Ollie Robinson are the two players who are making their debut for England in the ongoing Test against the Black Caps. During the toss, English skipper Joe Root opined on the exclusion of Leech saying that the hosts wanted to make use of green grass on the surface. 

The veteran added that though Leach is a great asset to the England team, it is time for the other players to step up and show their capabilities. “We would have batted as well but we have an opportunity to make use of some fresh green grass on that wicket. It is great to have a crowd in – really special for everyone involved. 

“Jack Leach misses out and we’re going to play four-seamers. When you have a player like him, he fills three positions in many ways, but this is a chance for guys to come in and prove they are capable at this level,” Root said at the time of the toss.

Michael Vaughan expresses his views on Twitter

However, former English captain Michael Vaughan wasn’t happy with the exclusion of Leach. Vaughan is an avid user of social media and doesn’t shy away from expressing his views regarding cricket matches across the globe. This time too, the former skipper took to his official Twitter handle to express his sympathy towards Jack for not getting a chance to play at the Lord’s.

Vaughan believed that it was the ideal playing conditions for the spinner as the weather was boiling hot and dry for the rest of the week. “Boiling hot .. Dry conditions forecasted for the week .. England decide to play no front line spinner… You have to feel for @jackleach1991,” tweeted Vaughan.

Boiling hot .. Dry conditions forecasted for the week .. England decide to play no front line spinner .. You have to feel for @jackleach1991 !! #ENGvNZ

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) June 2, 2021