James Anderson claims that his erratic performances in the first two Ashes Tests were not caused by getting older and that he would not be looking ahead past the start of the third Test at Headingley on Thursday.
After taking three wickets at an average of 75.33 in 77 overs thus far, James Anderson will turn 41 later this month, but questions about his role in the rest of the series are starting to surface.
He acknowledged that the Edgbaston wicket had been like “kryptonite” for him after England’s two-wicket ball-by-ball statistics, which started keeping track of such information in 2015.
In his Telegraph column, James Anderson promised to be truthful. “You want to participate in the major series, but I can’t recall seeing two consecutive games with such low scoring for at least the past ten years.
In his Telegraph column, James Anderson promised to be truthful. “You want to participate in the major series, but I can’t recall seeing two consecutive games with such low scoring for at least the past ten years.
“I believe that I have always made a contr-contributed. However, I don’t believe my bowling is particularly poor; I’m simply going through a dry spell, which is something you do not want to happen during an Ashes match. Lean patch, however, there are only two games out of 181 total.
“I won’t be criticizing the pitch again. I haven’t found that they work for me so far, but I’ve discovered ways to get wickets on flat grounds in the past.
“However, it is not entertaining to see the finest bowlers in the world pound the ball into the middle of the ground. All of the bowlers competing at Lord’s will admit that they desire to try out other sports as well.
“I have been throwing the ball up for 20 years trying to swing it and move it off the deck, and it is frustrating when you don’t get anything doing that. All I have to do is to keep improving, talk to the instructors, and see if there is anything else I can be doing.
Given the short turnaround before the Headingley Test, James Anderson seems set to sit out the match. Ben Stokes, England’s captain, said that if Anderson had been deemed match-ready, he would have selected him for the second Test. Additionally, Moeen Ali is anticipated to return to the fray after resting his injured spinning finger.
But James Anderson is adamant that he will be available to contribute when needed, saying that with the Old Trafford and Oval Tests still to come and England needing to win all three to reclaim the Ashes for the first time since 2015, he will be prepared.
At my age, folks speculating about my future is par for the course. But I do get it. Because it’s a well-known series, you find yourself in the spotlight a little more, and it’s simple to accuse him of aging a little. But it’s not my age that has prevented me from scoring wickets.
“I’m not considering the future. I’m only focused on Thursday and the beginning of the upcoming test when I think about the future. That is the farthest I will look ahead. I’ll give the team the performance they need if I get the nod. If not, I’ll keep working hard and contribute at some point during the entire series.
