James Anderson feels he can carry on playing ‘for a number of years’ in Ben Stokes’ ‘exciting’ England team | Cricket News
England seamer James Anderson feels he can carry on playing Test cricket “for a number of years” having been energised by the aggressive style championed by captain Ben Stokes.
The 40-year-old – who is being rested for the third and final Test in Pakistan after helping his side into an unassailable 2-0 lead – has been part of a team that has won eight of nine Tests since Stokes succeeded Joe Root as skipper in the spring.
Speaking to Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain, Anderson – who made his England debut in an ODI against Australia in December 2002 – said: “I have been around for 20 years and [Stokes’] attacking mindset is making me think differently about the game.
“It has been a breath of fresh air and I feel I could carry on for a number of years in this regime.
“I have not had any thoughts about not wanting to get out of bed or go to the ground and work on my skills. That is what has kept me going.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Anderson was lost for words after Mark Butcher asked him about playing under Nasser Hussain!
“That hunger to keep getting better is crucial and I am fortunate my body can cope with the strains of Test cricket, so as long as I have that hunger, who knows how long I can keep going on for.
“I am just enjoying every moment out on the field, trying to have fun and be creative with fields and how we are trying to get 20 wickets. And watching us bat has been incredible.
“I have seen the white-ball side go from strength to strength from the sidelines but, to be in a group that is taking the game forward, and raising the bar of Test cricket, is something special.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Michael Atherton says Stokes has transformed England’s Test team and will go down as one of their best captains ever if he continues in the same vein
‘Stokes has so much positivity every day’
On captain Stokes, who has revived an England Test outfit that had won just one of their previous 17 Tests prior to his appointment, Anderson added: “He has been fantastic.
“He has so much positivity every day you turn up, whether that’s before the game or during the game. We turn up to training the day before a Test and he wants us to do a six-hitting competition!
“He wants us to have fun and enjoy the time we are having together, playing this exciting brand of cricket. It is infectious how you see guys go about their practice.
“Stokes and Root having fun in a net session and being creative rubs off on the younger guys. It’s all well and good talking about freedom but when you see the best players do it you can’t help but follow their example.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Anderson produced a ‘jaffa’ to remove Mohammad Rizwan during the second Test in Multan, which England won by 26 runs to clinch a series victory
England’s 26-run victory in the second Test at Multan, in which Anderson took three wickets, clinched a first series victory against Pakistan overseas since Hussain’s team won 1-0 in 2001.
The tour to Pakistan is also the first for an England red-ball side since 2005 with trips to the country having been paused following the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.
Anderson added: “It’s not just the winning but the style we have done it in. The way we’ve played in the summer was amazing but to carry it on is amazing. Once we get home and sit down, it will be something that is right up there in everyone’s career.
I think it’s right up there [with one of my best] as you don’t usually bowl balls like that in these conditions very often. That made it extra special for me. Not only the style of delivery – reverse swing, using the cracks – but also the fact Pakistan had got off to a good start. Getting a wicket when we needed it was really important.
“We all knew how much the people of Pakistan love Test cricket and the way we have been welcomed is absolutely incredible. It is a big operation getting us from the hotel to the ground
“The moment that stands out for me was after getting a result on that pitch in Rawalpindi [in the first Test].
“The ovation we got from the Pakistan fans was not something I have experienced away from England.”
Will Bazball work in The Ashes?
Finally, when asked whether England’s ‘Bazball’ style of cricket will work in next summer’s home Ashes series as the hosts look to regain the urn for the first time since 2015, Anderson said: “People asked whether it will work in Pakistan and we are 2-0 up.
“For us it is a case of trying to keep improving. We know the style works for us and we have the talent to be able to do it.
“It might not work against Australia but we are going to give it a good crack and hopefully it does.”
