James Anderson was controversially left out of the squad for the West Indies tour along with Stuart Broad, but England’s leading Test wicket-taker says he has now “made his peace” with the decision.
James Anderson says he has ‘made his peace’ with staying out of England’s Test squad to tour the West Indies
James Anderson insisted he has “made his peace” with his surprise omission from England’s ongoing Test series in the West Indies and is fully focused on the county’s upcoming campaign.
Anderson and Stuart Broad, No. 1 and No. 2 respectively on England’s all-time list of leading Test wicket-takers with a combined 1,177 dismissals, were controversially left out of the Caribbean touring squad.
While Anderson admitted last month that he was initially “shocked” and felt “frustration and anger” at being overlooked as part of a highly publicized red ball restart, the 39-year-old is now looking to the future.
Lancaster admitted that not being part of a new set-up was still a bit difficult to digest, with England drawing at Antigua and Barbados and lacking an advantage on the ball in both games.
“When you hear how things are going and not being a part of this rebuild it’s kind of tough,” said Anderson, who has taken 640 wickets in 169 Tests. BBC Radio 5 live. “But I made my peace with the decision weeks ago, it’s completely out of my control.
“What I can do now is prepare for the county season and try to show people what I can do. I feel in a good place both physically and mentally. I’m looking forward to playing cricket for Lancashire.” “
As Anderson prepares for this season’s LV= Insurance County Championship, which starts next month, England heads to Grenada for the Final Test this week in hopes of a change of fortune, with their sewing attack in particular tempered. by desperately insensitive surfaces.
Anderson’s Lancashire team-mate Saqib Mahmood briefly cheered England on in Barbados with a double breakthrough on the final day, however he finished with match numbers of 4-79 on his Test debut.
“It’s going to do wonders for him, it’s an amazing comeback on that field where we saw every other seam bowler struggle,” Anderson said. “To play like that in your first game, especially that second inning, it gave England a bit of a nose.
“His chest will be out after that game. It would have been tough work for him on that pitch this week and Test cricket will only get easier as his career develops.”
“He is not a Jofra [Archer], he’s not a Mark Wood, he’s not a 95 mph bowler. I feel like he’s going to consistently hit 85 mph and be pretty accurate.”
Paul Collingwood credits a reinvigorated Ben Stokes with helping to heal the pain of England’s Ashes defeat over the winter.
A 4-0 humiliation against Australia left the Test team in need of new direction, with Collingwood stepping up as caretaker head coach following the sacking of Chris Silverwood.
The former England batsman’s first two Tests in charge have seen the West Indies hang on to draws at Antigua and Barbados, but the key to his efforts has been Stokes, who has looked close to his best influence in recent weeks.
After averaging 23.60 with the bat and 71.50 with the ball in Australia upon his return from a four-month hiatus to preserve his mental and physical health, Stokes has gone into overdrive in the Caribbean after hitting 120 with the bat at Kensington Oval, his first century since the summer of 2020, and shipped 77 overs with the ball, more than any other closer in the series.
“It’s phenomenal, it’s box office,” Collingwood said. “He was going to the ashes without much cricket under his belt. Now he is fit, he is determined and you can tell he wants to make a difference in the locker room as a leader.
“When he’s preparing like he’s doing right now, he certainly leads. He wants to go out in the middle and make great performances. He wants to have the ball in his hand, score runs and he’s doing it right now.
“Even in the meetings when we first arrived, removing the scar tissue from Australia and how we were going to move forward, you could see and hear that he had something in his teeth and that he wanted to lead this team. I think he and [captain] Joe Root has done a magnificent job of turning this round around.
“He’s desperate to do well for the badge, for England. It’s amazing when he has this kind of attitude as we all know he’s one of the best. May he continue for a long time.”
Success in this week’s series decider in Granada is required to turn the positive vibes Collingwood has felt in camp into something more tangible. With a test win in 16 matches, he is also much needed.
There are likely to be changes to the bowling attack after another grueling five-day affair, with Chris Woakes on the verge of missing out after two sub-par performances. Ollie Robinson is pushing for a first appearance as he recovers from back spasms and Craig Overton is well again after a brief illness.
But more intriguing is the option to unleash Matt Parkinson, who has the ability to produce magic balls but hasn’t played competitively since October.
“He’s as ready as he can be,” Collingwood said of Parkinson. “The simple fact is that in times of Covid there are no intermediate matches.
