Xtra Time Web Desk: Veteran England fast bowler James Anderson has said he would love to play all the seven tests in the summer starting with the two test match series against New Zealand followed by the five tests against India. Anderson is on the verge of becoming England’s most capped test player (one test short than Alastair Cook who played 161 tests).
“Yes. I’d love to play all seven Tests this summer. There are five Tests against India after these two Tests against New Zealand, and then the Ashes after that. So, we want to start this summer well,” said Anderson in an interview to ESPN Cricinfo.
Anderson, who turns 39 in July, is hopeful of sharing the new ball with Stuart Broad. He is the world’s highest Test wicket-taker among fast bowlers with 614 scalps from 160 matches
“Hopefully if we do pick our strongest team, we (Anderson and Stuart Broad) would like to think that we’re both in that. And we’d love to share the new ball, yes,” said Anderson.
He added, “Stuart and I have sent a few texts to each other saying it’d be nice if we did get to play together. It’s completely down to the coach and captain.”
Anderson also predicted that the series against India might see a lot more rotation.
“The five Tests against India might be a different story with back-to-backs in quite a quick succession. That might be where people get rotated a bit more,” said Anderson, speaking about the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) much-debated rotation policy.
“The rotation in the winter was completely understandable with the amount of cricket we had and the amount of time in bubbles that we were spending. It’s going to be slightly different this summer. If everything goes well, I think it will start to get relaxed. We won’t be in the sort of bubble life that we’ve experienced in the last 12 months. So, there might be not as much reason to rest people,” said Anderson.