Ashes 2023: James Anderson admits not playing all five Tests, calls captain Ben Stokes a born leader
Anderson admits not playing all five Ashes Tests, calls Stokes a born leader
Veteran England seamer James Anderson has admitted he will not play all five Ashes Tests this summer, which begins with the first game in Edgbaston on June 16. Anderson, Test cricket's third highest wicket-taker with 685 scalps, is currently undergoing rehab for the groin injury he suffered in the County Championships recently.
While Anderson is expected to sit out of the one-off Test against Ireland, scheduled for June 1st start in Lord’s, to remain fit for the home Ashes, the right-arm seamer will get rotated around to avoid getting drained.
As of now, he is undergoing a 10-day recovery period, and while he will be fit before the Ireland Test begins, the management might go ahead without him, considering Jofra Archer is also ruled out for the summer. Other than him, the pace battery of Olly Stones and Mark Wood will remain unavailable for at least the first Ashes Test.
In their absence, ECB will have to pick from Stuart Broad, Olly Robinson, Chris Woakes and Matthew Potts.
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Speaking to British media lately, as also reported by Reuters, Anderson said anyone thinking about playing all five matches sounds a tad unoptimistic, as each bowler will get rotated and would probably play three or four Tests on a stretch max.
"I think playing all five is a little bit optimistic," Anderson told British media, as quoted by Reuters. "I think three, not just for myself – if you said to any of the bowlers three out of five, I think that's probably more realistic, more sensible. If it's four then great.
"The thing is, you've got to take it game by game. If we're bowling 250 overs in the field in five days then you're probably going to rest. There could be rain, we could bowl them out cheaply. You just don't know, you've got to play it by ear," Anderson added.
James lauds Stokes, calls him a born leader
Having played alongside Stokes for around a decade now, Anderson probably knows a bit or two about the English captain, saying Stokes is an incredible professional athlete and that he is also a born leader.
Lauding his captaincy, under whom England tasted tremendous success over the past year, winning 10 out of the 12 matches, Anderson said, "I think he's been spot on so far. I can't fault anything really.
"I think everyone knew that he was a leader, the way he trains, whether it's the gym or whether it's catching or batting or bowling the way he goes about his business – he is the ultimate professional, a born leader.
"(But) for me, it's the finer details, not just on the field where his tactical nous has been spot on, but also his emotional intelligence off the field and how he talks to everyone in the group," Anderson said about Stokes.
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