England veteran James Anderson believes they have the bowling attack to succeed in all conditions in the world. The 40-year-old noted that England have a great fast bowling unit that motivates each other to be better.
While England’s seamers are undoubtedly sharp in useful conditions, they have also shown their muscles on the lifeless pitches of Pakistan. The likes of Mark Wood, Anderson and Ollie Robinson played key roles in shaping the 3-0 goal.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the first Test against New Zealand, Anderson believes the return of Stuart Broad, Olly Stone and Matthew Potts to the squad shows England’s depth in the fast bowling unit. The Lancashire seamer admitted that everyone is fighting the stains tooth and nail.
“Being able to bring these guys back into the team after we had Mark Wood in Pakistan, and with Jofra coming back to form, it looks like we’re building a really good bank of fast bowlers who will be able to win any match in any conditions anywhere in world. I think guys, young or old, always keep you on your toes. I mean, Broady keeps me on your toes, we push each other in the net all the time.”
He praised Ollie Robinson in particular, revealing how much they hate facing the high seam in the nets.
“At the moment, Ollie Robinson is probably one of the best bowlers in the world for me. He just doesn’t miss, he can swing both ways, he can field, he can bounce – he’s certainly the only bowler that guys don’t want to face in the nets here . Everyone keeps you on your toes and that keeps those standards very high.”
Robinson marked his comeback from a long-term back injury in the home series against South Africa, taking 12 scalps in two Tests. The right-arm seamer also claimed nine wickets in the three-Test series against Pakistan.
“They’re plastic, they don’t shine, they don’t scratch to reverse” – James Anderson on the pink ball
Anderson shared Robinson’s sentiments that Test cricket should only be played with the red cherry because the pink balls are not ‘well constructed’. He stated:
“These here don’t feel like a well-constructed ball. They’re plastic, they don’t shine, they don’t scratch to turn over. I like the red ball and I think that’s how Test cricket should be played. I’m old and a traditionalist, I suppose, but that it’s not something you really look forward to, it’s a day/night game. I don’t know who benefits from it.”
England have not won a Test series in New Zealand since 2008 and lost 1-0 on tour in late 2019.