James Anderson

[FBU]

On 91 ODI wickets at the moment. Hopefully he will get that 100 at the World Cup. He is level with Gough at the moment on 15 World Cup wickets.

Gough 11 games 15 wickets at 28.66 econ 4.31 s/r 39.80
Anderson 8 games 15 wickets at 22.06 econ 4.47 s/r 29.60

World Cup Wickets
Botham - 30
De Freitas - 29
Willis - 18
Old - 16
Gough/Anderson - 15

ODI Career Most Wickets

1. Gough - 235
2. Botham - 145
3. Flintoff - 123
4. De Freitas - 115
5. Anderson - 91

It's hard to believe other ODI bowlers haven't stayed around long enough to get more wickets. Anderson has the best strike rate of any England ODI bowler past or present. What I found very strange is when he was number 10 in the world rankings they dropped him for a bowler who could bat, Wharf. Once Vaughan came back in the side I was worried he would do the same again as Anderson only came back into the ODI side once Vaughan was out injured.

I see Harmison, Hoggard and Jones as the Test bowlers and Anderson as an injury replacement for Hoggard (who hardly ever gets injured). Plunkett seems the most likely to be 12th man this summer.

As a Lancs supporter I will be hoping Anderson plays for them all season except when needed for ODIs.

 

[Richard]

Anderson's career has never been a straight thing.

There have been spectacular highs and lows almost one after the other.

Hence being dropped for Wharf and being 2nd-best WC performer... at 24.

He's such a hard man to sum-up or predict.

 

[shortpitched713]

How 'bout probably the only gun ODI bowler for England besides Flintoff. The man has a got a knack for this form of the game I'd say. A shame he doesn't/can't carry it over to his Test performance.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I would marry him.

Just sayin' is all...

 

[maheshprasad]

Where is Simon Jones?If he comes back who has to sit on the bench?Probably not Anderson if he continues this way.Yeah..hail England .I am an english supporter evenif I am an Indian.I am waiting for the clash with Australia

 

[maheshprasad]

Can anyone tell me what happened to Simon Jones?

 

[Prince EWS]

Can anyone tell me what happened to Simon Jones?

He's injured.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

He's injured, as per usual. Bad knee IIRC.

 

[Goughy]

Anderson's career has never been a straight thing.

There have been spectacular highs and lows almost one after the other.

Hence being dropped for Wharf and being 2nd-best WC performer... at 24.

He's such a hard man to sum-up or predict.

Yeah. He hit the International scene hard and then it all kinda fell apart.

He became a professional 12th man and non-cricketing tourist for England and he lost his ability to swing the ball after Troy Cooley worked on trying to erease kinks in his action (his biggest failure).

His confidence went after that.

Now he is back performing ok.

Its been quite an up and down career for someone only 24.

He also has to live with the reputation of being a 'lucky' bowler

 

[Richard]

Which, given some of the deliveries he's had wickets taken with is not completely unjustified.

Nonetheless, anyone with 2 eyes could always see he had potential, but as we both say - such an incredibly turbulent career for someone so young.

 

[Richard]

Can anyone tell me what happened to Simon Jones?

Injured for most of the past 2 years, but has never been that good a bowler in the short game anyway.

 

[Nishant]

Anderson is developing as a player TBH...but he needs to play more games. He cant be dropped evry game and needs to be given assurance of his place in the team. For example, when simon jones does come back, england have to make sure that anderson is not dropped. He can come up with really good performances and follow them up with really poor performances.

Its true that we cant say that Anderson is really young or anything....but for a 24 year old, he hasnt played an awful amount of games. He was on the bench for the most part of his career which is good for experience initially...but then its a drag and a demotivator!

 

[Richard]

Anderson is developing as a player TBH...but he needs to play more games. He cant be dropped evry game and needs to be given assurance of his place in the team.

Easier said than done. Anderson's career, as I said, has not been a straightforward one. On the 2 occasions we've thought he was finally "burning himself in" to whatever level of cricket, he's then had long absences, whether through injury or being superseded by someone else.

For example, when simon jones does come back, england have to make sure that anderson is not dropped.

Trouble is, it don't work like that. Someone comes in, someone has to go out.

Sure, Hoggard, Flintoff, Jones if fit and Panesar are guranteed slots, but we could quite possibly go in with a 4-man attack, and if it comes down to a shootout between Harmison and Anderson for a 5th slot - however bad an idea that may be - I don't think we need to think too long to know who's gonna get it.

 

[open365]

Anderson in test cricket is going to be the typical English "not-quite-there" bowler.

He's never going to achieve what we think he could in test cricket, a bit like Alex Tudour, he's good, but i think his style of bowling will not get the best results long term in tests.

 

[Richard]

Can't help feeling the same, TBH.

I've always had the exact same feeling about Simon Jones, too.

For different reasons, of course.

 

[Perm]

James Anderson has a lot of potential in the ODI arena but I don't think he will get too many chances as a regular in the Test side, not if England have all their bowlers fully firing and fit. Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff are all pretty much assured of their bowling spots and I seriously doubt whether the selectors would drop a quality spinner like Monty Panesar.

 

[Richard]

I doubt they'd drop an un-quality seamer like Harmison, either, TBH.

 

[Perm]

Well, not if he still has some quality left inside him.

 

[steds]

I seriously doubt whether the selectors would drop a quality spinner like Monty Panesar.

Yes. Because the selectors have been oh so faithful to old Monty before.

 

[Perm]

Well, now that he has basically established himself as England's top choice ODI spinner and showed the selectors his worth when selected for those last three test's I think it's a lot more likely he will be retained for England's next test series.