Eat your heart out Terry Alderman. And as for you, Ben Hilfenhaus, kindly move over. There’s a new swinger in town. Well, to be totally accurate, James Anderson is hardly new. He’s now 28 years old and he’s played 49 test matches. But people outside of Lancashire (and the Anderson family) are finally beginning to call Jimmy ‘the best swing bowler in the world’. Even Shane Warne has recently admitted as much.
But is the title ‘best swing bowler in the world’ an accolade that Jimmy Anderson would want? Is it even an accolade? After all, the compliment could also be interpreted as something of a criticism – for it highlights Jimmy’s weaknesses as much as his considerable strengths. Anderson is seen the world over as a swing bowler pure and simple. When he’s playing at home in overcast skies, there is nobody better. But on a hot day in Bangalore (or Perth for that matter) batsmen often lick their lips at the prospect of facing the leader of England’s attack.
If it doesn’t swing, Anderson frequently fails to take wickets and goes for a hatful of runs. His test average in England is an impressive 28, but away from home this drops to an alarming 44. It doesn’t bode well for the Ashes. Even the England team management seem to have recognised that Jimmy can be a liability as well as a match winner. Remember, they left him out of the team for the duration of the World T20; instead preferring the dubious virtues of the Hairy Biker.
Anderson’s figures in the First Test against Pakistan were awesome. Match figures of 11-71 are outstanding in anybody’s book. But what does Jimmy’s performance actually prove? Until he takes wickets abroad people will always criticise him. The swing in Australia only lasts for a few overs, after which bowlers require pace, accuracy and tenacity. Unfortunately, Anderson has frequently failed to show the latter – and he hates bowling with the Kookaburra ball.
Our advice to Jimmy would be as follows: get used to it mate! You’ve got the talent and now you’ve got some experience to boot. You are the leader of our attack, and we need you to step up this winter. However, I’m still not sure we can rely on Anderson. His comments after the World T20, when he claimed that being left out of the side damaged his confidence, suggest that he is still mentally weak. Real champions react to adversity by rolling their sleeves up and proving the management wrong – not moaning to the media.
The fear remains that Jimmy’s self-belief is fragile – which could explain why his performances oscillate so wildly. Until he addresses this (and there must be a worry that some mental frailties can never be solved) James Anderson will always remain an enigma. The bowling equivalent of Graeme Hick or Mark Ramprakash perhaps. David Lloyd calls his fellow Lancastrian ‘Daisy’, because ‘some days he does, some days he doesn’t’. A harsher observer might call him ‘Jimmy Riddle’, because nobody can quite work out why he hasn’t fulfilled his potential yet.
James Morgan
Anderson made an interesting comment after the game that Saker prepares the bowlers for Plan A – which is the ball is not swinging or seaming. All the practice is based around hitting short of a good length with a line outside off stump. If the ball does start to move around, the bowlers and captain have to plan for themselves to pitch the ball on a fuller length and straighter. Whilst not earth shattering stuff, it is encouraging that England are not planning on a game plan of defeating Australia with conventional swing – especially in places like Brisbane where you are lucky to get any movement after about 5 overs.
Anderson is a more rounded bowler than last time in Australia when we was in and out of the team and expect a far improved performance.
He wasn’t that impressive last year against the Aussies, when we hoped he had matured. He was at home too. Anderson has surely improved since 2006, but can we rely on him yet? He doesn’t react too well under pressure.
Interesting stuff re: Saker.