Jimmy Anderson

[Fuller Pilch]

Even Trent Boult who I have always thought is a really good bowler. Averages almost 40 against Australia and over 40 against South Africa but he is lucky enough to have played more Tests against Sri Lanka and West Indies than against either of those two.

I'm not making excuses for him but he has had major injuries just prior to playing Australia.

 

[GIMH]

Arguments made wrt how Hadlee and Murali's achievements are greater for having little support do not find favour on CW though. What do you think about those assertions?

Well it's nonsense not to factor it isn't it. Everything is dependent on context.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Check out these sneaky NZers trying to take advantage of the Anderson truthing to put Wagner/Southee/Boult in Anderson's bracket.

I'd only put Wagner in his bracket.

Boult and Southee are more in the Mitchell Starc, Morne Morkel, Stuart Broad bracket.

 

[GIMH]

I'm not making excuses for him but he has had major injuries just prior to playing Australia.

Jimmy broke a rib in October 2010. Good job he didn't put in a stellar display in a five Test series away to Australia (incorporating a trip home in the middle) afterwards.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah, this is what I think.

I've said in the past that Anderson is overrated because I think he's on the same level of effectiveness/success as a few other bowlers like Vass or Broad but he seems to be a lot more in control of what he is doing which people translate to him being more skillful.

Even I think that the idea of him being a middle of the road trier is a nonsense though.

Hmmm. I think that the older I get, the more I respect longevity. Especially with fast bowling, which is inherently very difficult to do without destroying your body.

Maybe it's why there's a very distinct difference between England fans (or to include myself, fans in an English timezone) and everyone else. With away bowlers, you see them play a handful of tests once every few years, and largely judge them based on how many problems they cause in those tests. When I think about the great bowlers I've seen over the past decade from other teams, the ones that stick out (other than the ATGs) didn't necessarily have long or consistent careers. Asif, Cummins, Johnson. Bowlers that instantly make you think holy ****ing **** this guy's good.

But with the team you follow it's different. You're constantly monitoring your test lineup, and there are always injuries, gaps, players with question marks hanging over them. So many fast bowlers especially excite then disappoint, look great then break down, remodel their actions to prevent injury and then aren't as effective, end up drifting in and out of the team. England have had Jones, Sidebottom, Bresnan, Tremlett, Finn, Wood, Onions, just off the top of my head. It's only a minority of players who can bowl fast sustainably. In that context, having a seriously good test bowler playing almost every game for over a decade is just absolutely massive. It gives the team so so much.

Vaas is an interesting one, because he had the exact same quality. I was a huge fan, and I'd bet he's rated much higher in Sri Lanka than he is elsewhere too. But I don't think he was quite as good as Anderson.

 

[Flem274*]

insulting tim southee to big up spamderson isn't the way to get at me brits. ive long considered southee's spot the most vulnerable.

he's an equal bowler to anderson with far less opportunity because he plays for the wrong team.

also who was bigging up mark wood and sam curran as serious place competition on the prev page? ****in lol, if those ***** are a threat to an 'atg fast bowler' then england is a shambles. just purchase lockie ferguson and kyle jamieson already like you did morgan, archer and caddick.

 

[Groundking]

Jimmy broke a rib in October 2010. Good job he didn't put in a stellar display in a five Test series away to Australia (incorporating a trip home in the middle) afterwards.

He also played 3 tests with a broken rib in 2013/14 too.

 

[Adders]

insulting tim southee to big up spamderson isn't the way to get at me brits. ive long considered southee's spot the most vulnerable.

he's an equal bowler to anderson with far less opportunity because he plays for the wrong team.

also who was bigging up mark wood and sam curran as serious place competition on the prev page? ****in lol, if those ****s are a threat to an 'atg fast bowler' then england is a shambles. just purchase lockie ferguson and kyle jamieson already like you did morgan, archer and caddick.

Have a spell mate, it wasn't us that brought Southee into this, and if you seriously think hes JA equal then there's not much I can say to you, cept maybe lay off the gear pal

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Have a spell mate, it wasn't us that brought Southee into tbis

concisely put.

Next person to mention Southee gets points.

 

[Starfighter]

And yet it does defend him. Why so hesitant to defend him?

The old 'x subcontinent bowler would have been so much better if they played for 'y' SANE country' argument is an annoying one. Both Kapil and Vaas were worse overseas and worst in England. But it doesn't have any bearing on Anderson's own ability and reduced effectiveness overseas.

 

[Flem274*]

concisely put.

Next person to mention Southee gets points.

nah, this isn't a retirement thread, we don't have to pull punches. if the below opinion isn't allowed to be expressed with examples who may or may not include chaminda vaas and he who slogs sixes then this forum may as well be the ecb website.

james anderson is a very good bowler a level below atg because he has some very obvious flaws, namely a strong preference for home conditions and the duke ball. his reputation has greatly benefited from playing for the nation who play the most test matches with conditions that also advantage him, and he is promoted above other bowlers of equal skill because he plays all the time for a major cricket media nation.

also i am not a person so i have full rein to mention tim southee free from tyranny.

 

[Adders]

Nail him Mags

 

[Pothas]

insulting tim southee to big up spamderson isn't the way to get at me brits. ive long considered southee's spot the most vulnerable.

he's an equal bowler to anderson with far less opportunity because he plays for the wrong team.

also who was bigging up mark wood and sam curran as serious place competition on the prev page? ****in lol, if those ****s are a threat to an 'atg fast bowler' then england is a shambles. just purchase lockie ferguson and kyle jamieson already like you did morgan, archer and caddick.

Weird that Wagner chose New Zealand really.

 

[honestbharani]

Anderson bowled a really good spell in Mumbai that 2012 series which turned things around but was mostly unpenetrative tbh which is reflected in him averaging 3 wickets a match @ 30 each.

There's about half a dozen fast bowlers at least who have done a lot better in India in the last decade and Anderson was not a stand out at all.

Dhoni's statement as a losing captain is not something I would attach a lot to weight to tbh.

Nah, your post smacks of not having watched the series live. The reason MSD even mentioned that was because while the spinners were roughly equal in ability, Anderson was the point of difference which meant the batsmen could not get away against the seam which led to them trying to be more assertive against spin and losing out. England simply sat on our spinners (apart from KP in Mumbai) and I think especially in Kolkata, Anderson was a class above. It is one thing to state that one series does not make up for the rest of his unimpressive figures in the other tours but to state he was not a point of difference between the sides during that series is silly revisionism.

 

[Teja.]

I did watch the series live tbh - nearly every ball because I was in college back then. I thought he had one awesome innings and was a very good support bowler holding the scoring for the rest of the series.

I wouldn't say it was a particularly extraordinary performance by a visiting pacer, not at all.

 

[honestbharani]

james anderson is a very good bowler a level below atg because he has some very obvious flaws

Then what are we even arguing about? It is what I said and it seems to be what Adders, GIMH and other English fans are saying too. You call it the "Very good" tier, I happen to call it the "great" tier, coz I think ATG is anyways a level above.

 

[honestbharani]

was a very good support bowler for the rest of the series.

Support bowlers can be the difference between two sides in a series.

 

[Daemon]

Support bowlers can be the difference between two sides in a series.

Are you disagreeing with Teja’s overall point about Anderson having a decent series or saying his interpretation of MSD’s comments is wrong?

 

[honestbharani]

I wouldn't say it was a particularly extraordinary performance by a visiting pacer, not at all.

Not from an Indian fans' perspecive, having been rek'd by Steyn twice. But if you are an English fan and have never seen England even be competitive in India and then this series win comes along its pretty clear why you would think it was an extraordinary performance from their lead seamer, who basically was a point of difference between the sides, especially given how awful our own seamers were.

 

[honestbharani]

Are you disagreeing with Teja’s overall point about Anderson having a decent series or saying his interpretation of MSD’s comments is wrong?

I can't say both?