Jimmy Anderson’s formative years took place as England were trying not only to beat Australia but be like Australia. Ashes2022 cricket
To get an idea of what it could be, it’s best to look back at his earliest days in international cricket. Anderson, you see, came through at a time when England were trying as hard as they ever have not only to beat Australia but to be like Australia, in every way. Seven consecutive Ashes series defeats had forced their hand.
At the same time, bowling coach Troy Cooley took Anderson’s instinctive action, with its high gather and trademark duck of the head at the point of delivery, and tried to turn it into a facsimile of Brett Lee’s. Anderson bears no ill will towards Cooley, who is back working with England. But take a look at footage of Anderson that summer and you will be surprised how strange it looks. Imagine how unnatural it felt.
“A guy like James Anderson, early in his career, we were able to keep down for long periods of time,” Ponting has said. “It’s not so much targeting guys, but they were younger players coming into international cricket and we knew if we could do that we might get the better of them.” “I’ve always had the competitive edge that turns me into a different person when I get on the cricket field,” Anderson says. “Since I was even a young kid really, 12 or 13, I was desperate to win. Same with football, basketball or whatever sport I played as a kid, I just wanted to win and it just made me the guy you see on the field. I’m definitely very different off the field, but I think it just works for me.
“I’ve played with some great guys over the years,” he says. “Fortunate enough at Lancs to play with Stuey Law, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hodge, Simon Katich, great guys who’ve done a lot for cricket in our county.It’s only now, in his late career as the senior pro in the England attack and as “Grumpy Uncle Jimmy” on the wildly successful BBCpodcast, that Anderson has let some of that edge soften, and seen the value in removing the intimidatory masks of a few former opponents too.
“Ben [Stokes] and Jos [Buttler] playing with Steve Smith at Rajasthan, the other teams in the IPL, they get to know each other really well. And when you know each other and become friends off the field, it’s very difficult to then not be friends on the field.”
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