The grand old man of this young England team stood up for the grand old form of the game yesterday, as Jimmy Anderson insisted he will prioritise Test cricket for the rest of his distinguished career.
The last two Tests of this four-match series against South Africa complete a hectic run of 17 in nine months for England and launch another demanding schedule of 17 in 2016 that will test their bowlers to the limits.
It is little wonder, then, that England have protected their prize asset by leaving him out of one-day cricket since the World Cup and Anderson confirmed yesterday that his ‘head and heart’ remain with the long form.
‘Where I’m at in my career I want to be in good nick to play Test cricket for England,’ said their record wicket-taker. ‘A couple of months away from the game after this series certainly won’t be a bad thing for me and then I will play a bit of four-day cricket with Lancashire to get ready for the summer. My heart and my head are both set on playing more Test cricket.’
It is reassuring news for England — who yesterday saw Nick Compton (below) prove his fitness by batting in the nets after a virus — following reports that Anderson wanted to play in the Pakistan Super League in Dubai and was considering the Indian Premier League auction.
‘I look forward to Test cricket and I love playing it,’ said Anderson. ‘I think it’s the best form of the game and it’s the most challenging. Certainly 17 Tests in a year is a huge challenge but I get excited about things like that and I look forward to what is to come.
‘There’s a worry about Test cricket, with the domestic Twenty20 competitions around the world doing so well but if you talk to players around the world there’s still that passion to play Test cricket because it’s such a test of your character and skill.’
Even the body of the fit and lithe Anderson has struggled to cope with the longevity of a career that began so long ago he is the only member of this England team to know what it’s like to win a series in South Africa.
Anderson, a young member of Michael Vaughan’s side that triumphed here in 2004-05, missed the last two Tests of the Ashes and the win in Durban through injury but insists he is now fully fit after returning in Cape Town.
‘It wasn’t ideal being injured and then coming back to 35 overs but the second Test was a good test of my fitness and I feel pretty good. I had a rest after Cape Town and I had a long bowl yesterday so I feel good ahead of the game.’
Victory in tomorrow’s third Test would seal a notable series win and Anderson should be a key figure in conditions where the ball ought to swing on a pitch that has enough grass on it to encourage seam.
‘If we can win here where South Africa have dominated for some time, that would be huge,’ he said.
England will have to improve their catching and the fragility of their batting but an area of concern that went relatively unnoticed in Cape Town was that they bowled too short, despite promising a fuller length.
Anderson made the pledge of full bowling again yesterday to try to make the most of whatever swing is on offer. But the key will be whether he and Stuart Broad stick to that plan if they are driven for boundaries with little cover.
‘We know that, because of the conditions here, there will be more swing and perhaps a little bit more in the pitch as well,’ said Anderson. ‘The important thing for us is thinking about that swing and the lengths we are going to bowl. We’ve got to make sure we bowl fuller even though we will get extra bounce.’
If he does so, Anderson — with 427 Test wickets to his name —should be closer to becoming the first Englishman to reach 500, which could come into view this year with so many Tests. ‘One step at a time,’ said Anderson. ‘I want to stay fit first.
Let’s stay fit for this week and we’ll think about everything else later.’– Daily Mail