14 Dec 2010

Flower not saying who will replace Broad

6:04 am on 14 December 2010

The England cricket coach Andy Flower has decided which of his three reserve seam bowlers will replace the injured Stuart Broad, but he's not saying who it is just yet.

Rumours sweeping Perth suggest Surrey paceman Chris Tremlett will get the nod ahead of Yorkshire pair Tim Bresnan and Ajmal Shahzad for the third Ashes Test starting on Thursday.

But following the tour match against Victoria, when the trio took only one wicket between them, Flower is refusing to confirm he has gone for Tremlett.

With Broad out of the rest of the series with an abdominal injury and his new-ball partner James Anderson tired from two long flights after a brief trip back to England to be present at the birth of his second child, England's bowling attack is under the spotlight for the first time in the tour.

The players' families have also arrived here in Perth, as agreed with team management, and Flower concedes that there are new challenges to be dealt with as a result.

England can retain the Ashes if they win in Perth, having drawn the first match in Brisbane before producing a stunning innings victory in Adelaide last week.