James Anderson returned to T20 cricket in style after more than a decade.
When you hear the name James Anderson, the first thing that comes to your mind is red-ball cricket. However, the 42-year-old English great is making things happen in the shortest format of the game. Anderson is featuring for Lancashire in the ongoing Vitality Blast in England, and he is thoroughly enjoying the format. The English pacer is set to take the field against Worcestershire on Friday.
In three fixtures for Lancashire in the tournament till now, Anderson has scalped seven wickets at an economy of 7.45. His best figures, 3/17, have come against Durham in the very first game of the tournament, which also happened to be his comeback fixture at Chester-le-Street.
When asked about how he was feeling about the change in formats and the transition from red-ball to white-ball cricket, the legend was all smiles about it.
“I’m absolutely loving it, it has been amazing”, Anderson mentioned in a recent event.
Despite taking seven wickets in the first three games, the English pacer has an idea of the uncertainties that the format brings to the table. Speaking about returning to the format, he expressed his vulnerability and that he missed playing the format for a decade.
“I’ve only played three games – and my opinion might change very quickly over the next couple of weeks – but I feel like I’ve missed out over the last 10 years. It is so much fun. I wouldn’t change anything in my Test career, but it would have been nice to play a little bit more [T20] over the last 10 years”, Anderson said.
Moreover, Anderson credits his resilience for being able to adapt to the format quickly despite such a long absence. His ability to keep improving and the pursuit of self-improvement, which was ingrained in him whilst playing Test cricket, stand out.
“I do watch a lot of cricket. I’ve been around a lot of cricket. I was with the England white-ball team in the winter, so you do kind of learn all the time, watching different things – watching The Hundred, watching the Blast over the last ten years. I’ve always had slower balls, but it’s getting back into nailing them down. It’s something I’ve loved throughout my career, developing skills and working at them”, the pacer continued.
Anderson also spoke about the nature of all his wickets being different from the way he used to get them in the Test format. He mentioned the absence of a slip cordon, something which is not a very regular sight in the longest format.
“All of my wickets have been caught either in the ring or on the boundary, but that is the nature of the game. It is a bit different to what I’m used to, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it”, he stated.
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The English pacer had registered for the auctions of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and The Hundred this time around. But unfortunately, he went unsold in both leagues. Though the IPL has been completed for the season, there remains a possibility of a wildcard entry into The Hundred. These entries are awarded to the best performers in the Vitality Blast.
When asked about whether Anderson is eyeing a spot for The Hundred, the Englishman stressed the willingness to stay focused in the remaining games.
“I haven’t heard anything. I just keep ploughing along. What I am finding out is that there is a lot of cricket in a county season, and it is tough. We have two more T20s and then two Championship games, and I want to play in those, so it’s about trying to manage your body as well. It has been great though. I have absolutely loved it.”
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