Skip to content

Seamingly perfect

Ahead of an Ashes tour, Rob Lancaster spoke to England's leader of the attack about the pursuit of history, playing against Australia in their own backyard and his future in the game beyond the next few months Down Under...

Jimmy Anderson at Lords Cricket Ground for Slazenger (Picture courtesy of Mark Robinson)
Image: Jimmy Anderson at Lord's Cricket Ground for Slazenger (Picture courtesy of Mark Robinson)

There used to be a time when England travelled for an Ashes series in hope, maybe even desperation, rather than expectation. Yet this winter, Alastair Cook's squad head Down Under as favourites to enter the record books.

Record bid
During the most recent Ashes he moved past Bob Willis on England's all-time wicket-taking list, meaning now only the great all-rounder Botham sits above him. Although still 74 adrift, there is little to suggest he cannot get to 383 and beyond before he hangs up his bowling boots. "At the moment, with the way my body is and with the way I feel about the game, I want to keep going as long as I can and see where I get to, really," Anderson admitted. "I don't want to set any time limit just yet - I just want to play it by ear." He also has no plans to end his one-day involvement to further his Test career, particularly with a World Cup looming on the horizon, adding: "After we got to the final of the ICC Champions Trophy I do think we have got a really good chance of winning that 2015 World Cup - and I would love to be a part of it." It was the 50-over format that launched Anderson onto the international scene; he took to it like a duck to water after being plucked from seemingly nowhere to provide cover for Andy Caddick in Australia in 2003. Now, a decade on, he returns as the leader of the attack. Despite going through some tough times, and a variety of different hair styles, 'The Burnley Express' is still going at full steam. The final stop seems some way off yet, too. James Anderson will be using the Slazenger V100 ULTIMATE TAS bat during this winter's Ashes series, part of the new 2014 Slazenger cricket range available to pre-order in November. For more information on the Slazenger range for 2014 visit Store.slazenger.com

Around Sky