HomeCricketAmid quit calls, Jimmy Anderson vows to soldier on

Amid quit calls, Jimmy Anderson vows to soldier on

- Advertisement -

It’s not easy surviving the rigours of international cricket in your late thirties. And if you’re a fast bowler, not waking up stiff every morning and going through your run-up or delivery stride without an odd creak in the old bones is almost like asking too much of yourself. What’s worse is when the voices calling on you to quit every time you have a bad game get louder.

And so it happened with James Anderson, a veteran of 154 Tests who has been shouldering England’s fast bowling burden for the better part of 18 years. In a rare poor harvest for the bowling spearhead who carries the tag of being England’s highest wicket-taker in Tests with 590 scalps, Anderson (38) picked up just a lone wicket in the Old Trafford Test against Pakistan

- Advertisement -

Hardly had the winning runs been scored at the Emirates Old Trafford, sparking off celebrations in the England dressing room, when a section of the country’s cricket pundits started wondering, yet again, if it wasn’t time for Anderson to bring the curtains down on his glittering Test career.

The senior-pro bowled just four overs in the last Ashes series and pulled out of the New Zealand tour, leading to growing calls for him to sign off.

Age is irrelevant

James Anderson
Away from Game: James Anderson bowled just four overs in the Ashes 2019 and pulled out of the New Zealand tour. (Credits: Twitter/ James Anderson)

However, all the retirement talk and noise around his form didn’t seem to affect him as he recorded his 28th five-wicket haul at Newlands, Cape Town, earlier this year. 

Asked if age was catching up with him, Anderson told BBC Sport, “For me, age is irrelevant. I feel good and work hard at my fitness. As the grey hairs and wrinkles creep in, people will wonder how long I can go on for.”

“Hopefully I keep putting in performances and if I keep doing that, who knows how long I can go on for,” Jimmy was quoted as saying.

Just 10 shy of 600 Test wickets, the 38-year-old acknowledged he had a bad game at Old Trafford but urged the England management to keep the faith in him. “It was one bad game and I’m sure I’ll have another bad game in my career. I just don’t want every time I have a bad game for there to be whispers going round that I’m going to pack in,” Anderson said ahead of the next Test at the Ageas Bowl.

Conceding that he literally bowled on a limp in the opening Test, the senior-pro said, “It’s been a frustrating week for me personally. I’ve not bowled very well and I felt out of rhythm. For the first time in probably 10 years, I got a little bit emotional on the field, got a bit frustrated, let it (noise around his retirement) get to me a little bit.”

Sight on next Ashes

Jimmy Anderson
Calls to Sign off: There is a persistent buzz that James Anderson should consider stepping away from Tests. (Credits: Twitter/ ICC)

While there is a persistent buzz that he should consider stepping away from the Test scene, one doubts if the English management can do without a James Anderson or a Stuart Broad, especially on tailor-made surfaces at home.

Broad, who recently reached 500 Test wickets, only the seventh in the world to get there, had also been drawing comments on his future in the longest format after being initially ignored in the first Test in the recent series against the West Indies. However, he was brought back for the second and third Tests after sitting out the first and picked up 16 wickets, the highest in the series, to silence his detractors.

Determined to soldier on despite the negative noise around his form and age, Anderson has already set sights on playing the next Ashes series.”For me, it’s just a case of working really hard in the next couple of games, trying to figure out if there’s any technical issues I can sort out and hoping I get the nod for the next game,”  the 38-year-old said after the Old Trafford win.

“Hopefully I can show people I’ve still got what it takes to play Test cricket. I will keep my fingers crossed that the captain and coach keep faith in me for the next game,” Anderson said.

So, while naysayers and detractors can write his cricketing epitaph all they want, Jimmy knows in his guts that he still has a lot to give to English cricket. Someone, who holds the record for most number of wickets in Tests, should reserve the right or courtesy to decide when to say enough is enough.

- Advertisement -

15 Highly Educated Cricketers Of All Time

Cricket is a game of passion and dedication. A sport in which one involves themselves in camps and practice since early childhood. Due to...

Why are more and more MotoGP riders using the Noson nasal dilator?

Introduction MotoGP riders or athletes are physically fit and healthy individuals and their muscles are continuously functioning and used during the performance. As a fan...

Do we often under-appreciate Andy Flower? What’s his legacy?

There's a hint of sadness in noting that Zimbabwe has never been a dominant power in world cricket. But nothing could be sadder than...

How Come UFC Fighters Have Cauliflower Ears But Boxers Don’t?

The UFC has come a long way since its early days, wherein the fights seemed like modern-day gladiators due to its brutality and inconsistent...

5 spinners who can be India’s potential finger-spinners

The Indian cricket team has always been proud of its ability to produce world-class batsmen and similarly potent spinners. Though in recent times, the...

IPL 2018: The beautiful Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s...

Top 5 Left Wingers In The World, Based On 2019-20 Season

Owing to the fact that football has evolved a lot since its inception and the tactics have changed a lot, the role of wingers...

The astonishing decline of Mario Balotelli

There was a time when Mario Balotelli was on top of the world.  The Italian talisman had scored two goals in the Euro 2012 semi-finals,...

What can be expected from the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix?

Heat in the air and heat inside the car- that's been the story of the Azerbaijan Grand prix. As F1 parks itself at Baku...

How Suresh Raina Batted India Into The Finals of 2011 World Cup

Its been 9 years, since India won the Cricket World Cup defeating Sri Lanka on 2 April, 2011. The images and visuals of...

Age Fraud in Indian Cricket: Are players really to be blamed?

There have been times while watching a cricket match when we tend to hear commentators comment on cricketers’ age. We as fans have many...

Ajax XI if they didn’t sell their star players

Based in Amsterdam, AFC Ajax, who incidentally draw their name from the legendary Greek hero of the same name, are the most successful club...

IPL 2018: The best from the West Indies

When one of nature's treacherous attacks on mankind- earthquakes- strike, their impact is measured on Richter's scale. When West Indians strike in a tournament...

Big change for India Women’s cricket as BCCI looks to finalise bowling coach soon

We are not even at the halfway stage of the 2018 cricketing season. It clearly seems there's no stopping India's women's cricket team. The...

5 famous players to play for both Leeds United and Liverpool

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after 16 years and will play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday in their very first match...

- Advertisement -

- Advertisement -