An injury to Jofra Archer has depleted England’s bowling stocks for the Ashes, but a key man says he’ll be over his injury in time to face the Aussies.
Cricket: England quick Jofra Archer is out of the Ashes, following the recurrence of a stress fracture in his elbow.
Anderson, 40, suffered a groin injury playing for Lancashire last week, but was named in the 15-man squad for a one-off Test against Ireland starting June 1.
However, he has opted against playing in that game, choosing instead to focus on being ready for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston which commences June 16.
England is already without Jofra Archer, who terrorised the Australians in the 2019 series, meaning the presence of Anderson is crucial to the home team’s chances.
Anderson, who has 685 Test wickets, was adamant he’ll be ready in “a couple of weeks” but won‘t rush to ensure he’s ready to take on the Australians.
“It’s obviously not great getting injured, but it’s probably the best outcome for what it is because it’s a low-grade thing. I think in a couple of weeks I’ll be back to full fitness,” Anderson said.
“It’s frustrating because you always want to feel good and get enough bowling in before a series and you want to be fresh. So it’s now about trying to plan the best route through this summer.
“I felt like I needed to play this game, so it’s not ideal, but I’m not stressed about it.”
England’s pacemen James Anderson (R) and Stuart Broad. Picture: David Gray / AFP
In 2019, Anderson missed the entire series after injuring himself on the opening day of the First Test, an absence which opened the door for Archer to play.
But with that in mind, he’s taking no risks to ensure his body can withstand the workload of the entire series, likely to be his last Ashes on home soil.
“I’m just taking it day by day and seeing how it goes, because obviously I don’t want to risk anything by making it worse,” Anderson told the BBC’s Tailenders podcast.
“I‘m more confident I can get this one right (compared to 2019) and give the Ashes a right good crack.”