James Anderson Cricket

Here James Anderson chronicles exclusively for The Mail on Sunday the 10 decisive moments on an unforgettable journey that is poised to end with Andrew Strauss and his team of heroes on top of the world : 6th August 2011

1. 51 all out at Sabina Park, February 2009
At the time, being bowled out for 51 by West Indies in the first Test did not feel like a step on the road to becoming No 1 but what followed was a turning point.
We started the trip without a coach following Peter Moores’ sacking and with the new captain Andrew Strauss aware that the one he had replaced, Kevin Pietersen, was not best pleased at the manner of his dismissal.
After we were rolled over, assistant coach Andy Flower and Strauss led a team meeting which went something like: ‘You’re grown men, it’s time to take a bit of responsibility for yourselves, your practice, your preparation.’
They did not just want the captain to be the leader. Their formula was based on having a team of leaders. A key moment.

2. The Great escape I, and its aftermath
We weren’t confident going into the 2009 Ashes series. We said we were at team meetings but, deep down, we knew it was going to be really hard for us.
If we had lost on that last day of the first Test in Cardiff, that could have further dented our confidence.
So when I completed my first-innings 15 not out with the two fours off Peter Siddle which gave us the lead, my effort, along with support from Monty Panesar and Paul Collingwood, made sure we had a spring in our step at Lord’s and a determination not to waste our Cardiff efforts.
We carried the momentum from Cardiff into the second Test and Freddie Flintoff’s second-innings five-for enabled us to keep it.

3. Trott’s Ashes hundred at the Oval
Jonathan Trott’s composed hundred on his Test debut in the final Test at The Oval was the key to our winning the Ashes; but how many recall the equally fine decision by umpire Asad Rauf which allowed him to make it?
We were 58-3 in response to their 160 all out when the first ball of day three clipped something woody-sounding on the way to Brad Haddin. Even Trott thought that, if the umpire was going on sound, he might be struggling. But replays showed Rauf was right and Trott cashed in. What a find he has been. He is as infuriating to bowl at as he looks, especially with his gardening habits but, when he’s on your side, you wouldn’t swap him for anyone.

4. Finding a way to fill Fred’s boots
Great character and player though he was, the hole Fred left did not turn out to be as big as some feared.
We pace bowlers knew we would have to bowl his overs but we also knew the void could be filled. I wanted to be the bowler Straussy threw the ball to, the ‘leader’ of the attack. And I felt that faith in me and the responsibility that goes with it for the first time during the third Test of the 2009-10 tour to South Africa in Cape Town, when I took five in the second innings.

Big shoes to fill: All-rounder Andrew Flintoff retired after the 2009 Ashes victory
It gives you a boost no matter how tired you are. It meant the captain and team were expecting me to succeed, not hoping.

5. The Great escape II and III
The sequels to Cardiff were shot at Centurion Park and The Wanderers as we fought for a massive 1-1 draw in South Africa, and they starred Graham Onions and Paul Collingwood.
But the first wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for my 106-run ninth-wicket stand with Graeme Swann, to which I contributed 29 from 78 balls and my first and so far only six in firstclass cricket, a slog sweep off Paul Harris.

Swanny did point out that the ball travels much further at altitude! We rode the feeling to Durban where Stuart Broad ripped through their second innings (133 all out) and we won the second Test.
Runs from down the order have made a huge impact, like Stuart keeping us in the second Test against India. Batting buddies have helped, as has our batting coach.

6. The Pakistan slurs brought us closer
How we came through the match-fixing scandal showed just how close we were.
When the mad accusations about us being involved were made just before the one-dayer at Lord’s, we had a long meeting into the early hours debating whether we should turn up or not.
We weren’t happy about playing in that series but we were determined to do a professional job and move on, so to win the series in the end was huge.

7. Preparation for Ashes 2010-11
Didn’t start great when I had a rib busted by Chris Tremlett in a Bavarian forest boxing ring, but underpinning all our efforts has been our physical fitness and the work of strength and conditioning coach Huw Bevan and fielding coach Richard Halsall. Bowling coach David Saker wasn’t a high-profile appointment but his work has been invaluable and spin coach Mushtaq Ahmed’s speeches hit the spot. Players and management are together, not us and them.

8. Ashes 2010-11 – Winning 1st day, second Test
Australia two for three. See No7, re fielding! Trott running out Simon Katich for nought was worth the effort.
Then I bowled a wobbly little thing to Ricky Ponting, he went at it hard and edged it to Swann at first slip.
Key here was that he, or possibly Straussy, sensing they might be too deep, brought the slips one pace forward. Ponting’s edge just made it to Swann’s new position. Michael Clarke stuck another one right in his mitts. 2-3 and we were off. Annoying to lose in Perth where we just didn’t handle Mitchell Johnson but the first day at Melbourne turned it all back in our favour as we bowled them out for 98.

9. Selectors backing the players under pressure
My 24 wickets made that Ashes series statistically my best. I did surprise myself how well I bowled and silenced a few who thought I couldn’t bowl with the Kookaburra ball. Alastair Cook was backed when he had a poor run in 2009 and he paid the selectors back 10 times over. Kevin Pietersen has been supported and his double-hundred in the first Test against India at Lord’s was maybe his best innings for England.
Stuart Broad was under pressure after being left out of the final OD I with Sri Lanka. Look how he has responded to being retained — a hat-trick and 5-0 in 16 balls at Trent Bridge.

10. Beating Sri Lanka on the final day in Cardiff and coming from behind against India
After our disappointment in the World Cup we needed a pick-me–up straight away. I was injured for the second innings, and not many in a very sparse crowd gave us a chance of winning the game, especially after we batted on to let Ian Bell get his ton. Straussy said ‘we’ll have 40 or 50 overs at them, let’s try and bowl them out’ and the guys caused their batsmen huge problems. Beating India by the right margin will take us to No 1 but we had to get past Sri Lanka first.

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 31st July 2011

Stuart Broad’s amazing display was just the latest example of his growing ability to turn a match on its head with ball and bat. At Lord’s last week and now at Trent Bridge, he has produced the kind of performances that might persuade some to think of him as a Freddie Flintoff-type all-rounder. But in my opinion they shouldn’t. Stuart found himself under pressure before the start of the series, with some critics questioning his place in the side. He couldn’t have done more to prove them wrong.

At Lord’s, his seven wickets over two innings were impressive enough, but his second-innings batting with Matt Prior not only got us out of possible trouble but set up our victory. Here, without his batting we might have struggled to make 150. Then he transformed the game. Much more of Dravid and Yuvraj and we might have been staring at an Indian score of 450 and a desperate fight to save the game. We knew how vital the second new ball was going to be and the importance of bowling in partnerships. But once he got started there was no stopping him.

The ball Stuart got Yuvraj with was special; the kind of ball he should have fallen too much earlier, but the hat-trick was fantastic. As much as the crowd were roaring Stuart on for the last ball of it, it was absolutely vital that we kept as cool as possible. The ball could have come to any one of us and he might not have seen the funny side if we were too busy getting excited to actually take the catch. As it was, he took us all out of the game by bowling a perfect length ball that nipped back into Praveen and bowled him all ends up.

By the time he’d finished, our mood had gone from frustration at what might have been, with dropped catches and disallowed referrals, to thinking we were right back in the game. But I’d resist all calls to change Broady’s role. His bowling speaks for itself, but I think at the moment he is far more dangerous at eight or nine because of the freedom of not being expected to do much. He can block when he needs to and counter-attack when the chance comes, as it did on day one here. I say leave him where he is and let him play.

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 24th July 2011

Kevin Pietersen was not the only one to prove a few critics wrong at Lord’s. Stuart Broad bowled magnificently having been under huge pressure over the past few weeks. Grabbing the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar with a beautiful out-swinger was possibly the most eye-catching aspect of his display but he bowled wonderfully from start to finish as we all knew he would if given some slack.

The key was the length he bowled. Some of our batsmen told us this was a difficult wicket to drive, not just because of the swing in the air but also due to the slow pace off the wicket. That encouraged all of us to pitch the ball well up — me, too far as it happened — and Broady suddenly looked the bowler he’d been for England before his recent lean spell. He deserved more and would have had six wickets had our fielders been able to catch.

Actually, that’s a bit harsh on skipper Andrew Strauss because the one he shelled did seem to wobble in the air just as it came to him. But I’ve never made excuses for Graeme Swann . . . and I don’t intend to start now!

Kevin was given a fantastic welcome back to the dressing room after his undefeated 202 on day two — deservedly so as it was almost the perfect innings. The way he laid the foundations for the innings was the best I’ve ever seen from him. To be 20 not out from 70-odd deliveries, which was most un KP-like, showed his determination. His skill in leaving any ball he didn’t absolutely need to play was outstanding.

Then, after having shown such patience and restraint, he made sure he earned his rewards; when given the chance to score, he did just that, and when the tail came in and he needed to accelerate, he showed pretty much every shot in the book. It was great to see Kevin smiling again and looking like he was actually enjoying his game.

He has gone through bits of bad form but he has worked so hard in the nets that we all felt it was only a matter of time before he came good. I gather this is the fifth time that Kevin has made a Test at Lord’s. Not too shabby when you consider the calibre of some of the batsmen who haven’t yet made a century here.

The other issue Steve Waugh raised while talking about the 50-odd players he claims have reported suspect approaches is the idea of players taking a lie-detector test to prove if they are guilty or innocent of any wrongdoing. I’m with Andrew Strauss in that I would be happy to take one, but one thing worries me: if you believe the test is going to produce conclusive evidence why make it voluntary? Surely people who are innocent will volunteer and people who aren’t, won’t.

Lesson from Ashes
We take the idea of becoming the best team in world cricket very seriously. We’ve tried not to get ahead of ourselves, but we’ve never made any secret that is our aim, and that we think we are capable of achieving it. India are No 1 and are a great side. This has to be the biggest thing here since the 2009 Ashes. And one thing we will be making sure of is that we don’t repeat what we did then if the case arises; when we went into the lead in that Ashes series, we forgot to do what we had to do to stay there.

Why it’s easy to slip on the Lord’s slopes
Bowling at Lord’s presents a unique set of challenges. With the ground dipping from left to right as you run in over the wicket from the Pavilion End, you can be pushed in towards the stumps and away from them when going round, and the ball tends to follow the line of the slope into right-handers and away from lefties. It’s the opposite from the Nursery End. There is also a slight slope from Nursery End to Pavilion End which can cause you to bowl too full or too short. Lord’s can offer a lot for bowlers, but you have to earn it.

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 16th July 2011

Having watched the way Sachin Tendulkar has made some of his 99 international hundreds over the years, you would have thought he’d be the last person to be affected by the fuss about making his 100th at Lord’s.
But you only had to see the nonsense that went on the last time we played there to see how the Lord’s factor can affect people. As England players, we consider it a privilege to play at the home of cricket and I’ve no doubt all touring teams feel the same. The history, the atmosphere, everything about the place and the fact that there’s always the thought at the back of your mind that you might be playing there for the last time all add up to make the experience uniquely intense and enjoyable.

But sometimes, as in our one-day international against Sri Lanka a fortnight ago, it can also make players do strange things. It was clear Sri Lanka were going to win from some way out. But I thought the way Dinesh Chandimal batted, turning down singles in order to give himself the best chance of making three figures, showed a total lack of respect for the game of cricket and for us.

You could see how angry their skipper, Tillekeratne Dilshan, was, shouting at his players from the balcony. But the way Chandimal carried on showed how much importance some players attach to getting on the honours board at Lord’s. I knew Sachin had never made a century at Lord’s, but I didn’t realise his highest Test score there was only 37. I wouldn’t for a moment think he will allow the prospect of allowing his 100th ton at headquarters blur his focus. But with everyone so aware of the milestone and the fact that he has never made a hundred at Lord’s, the hype might possibly have a detrimental effect on their side as a whole. If they allow themselves to think too much about Sachin and what he might achieve next week, it could work in our favour.

Where do you bowl at Sachin to try to get him out? There aren’t many places, to be honest. But at Lord’s this week, we will aim to starve India’s master batsman of runs and hope we hang in long enough for him to make a mistake. One thing I probably won’t be trying against Sachin is sledging him. We won’t make him overly welcome, of course, but in my experience if you try to get into him verbally, it normally makes him even more determined to dig in.

Don’t think who, just think where. In my early years I was often guilty of thinking too much about who was up the other end. If I bowled to Ricky Ponting, knowing he was about the best puller in the world, I would be thinking ‘for God’s sake don’t drag one down’ with the inevitable result that I would drag one down and he would pull it for four.
It won’t be easy to ignore the roar of the crowd when Sachin comes out to bat, but you’ve just got to concentrate on where you should be bowling, not who you are bowling to.

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 9th July 2011

Massive win for us for loads of reasons, but three in particular.

First, to edge out the World Cup finalists on a slow spinning pitch of variable bounce that would not have looked out of place on the sub-continent was a big statement for us, especially after being told that we were virtual no-hopers on anything but green seamers.

Second, to come back against the team who beat us comprehensively in the World cup quarter-final, after being written off at 2-1 down.

Third, for our new skipper Alastair Cook, who showed one or two vocal critics who used names like ‘donkey’ and ‘plodder’ to cast doubt on his place in the side, let alone as skipper, that he deserves a tad more respect.
Whatever he might say, Cookie was well aware of the kinds of words that were being used to dag him. He knew he would be under great pressure a) to score runs and b) over his leadership. And he has responded brilliantly; receiving the NatWest trophy and the man-of-the-series award on the podium from none other than Mike Atherton.

Cookie said he was not seeking to prove individuals wrong; that people are entitled to their opinion and, for some, expressing those forcefully is their job. But Athers and everyone else will now be aware that you underestimate Cook at your peril. Throughout his career, whenever he has needed to take the next step he has done so, never more so than prior to the Ashes tour.

Before this ODI series, many might have looked at him as a Test specialist who would find it near on impossible to adapt his game without risking it. But in this last week we have seen him play two great innings, completely different in tone, that underline just how good his all-round game now is. With wickets falling at Lord’s he set himself to bat and bat and his hundred helped us to a competitive total if not a winning one. His scoring rate was good enough there but, at Trent Bridge, he was unstoppable. He didn’t slog. He didn’t take unnecessary risks. But he did show people he is an extremely capable player at this form of the game. It may not be mere coincidence that his stellar run has coincided with my retirement as his batting buddy just before the Ashes tour. So far, my lack of support seems to be working quite well.

It’s not cheating to want more ‘homers’. Some people suggested that preparing the Trent Bridge pitch, on which we played the fourth ODI against Sri Lanka, with pace and sideways movement to suit our attack was close to cheating. Sorry, but I just can’t see it. I don’t have a problem with groundsmen preparing wickets to suit us. In fact, I think we should do it for the Test series against India.

I can understand that, having bid so much to stage Tests, clubs want their pitches to last so they can recoup their outlay. But when you’ve got home advantage, why not produce a pitch with pace and extra bounce: the kind of behaviour they are just not used to on the sub-continent? Why not produce a traditional English pitch that starts off hard to bat on with some pace, bounce and sideways movement, gradually gets easier then takes turn on days four and five?

Stuart shock shows no-one is immune. Stuart Broad’s omission from the team for the final one-day match underlined the point that, although we are all mates in this side, competition for places is fierce and no one is immune from being left out. Broady is a world-class bowler and we will need him at his best for the Test series against India. He has been bowling well but has been going through one of those spells we all suffer, when nicks don’t quite carry or mistimed drives just loop over fielders rather than straight to them.

I know he was disappointed to be left out, but one look at that pitch on Friday told the management we had to play two spinners – and it turned out to be exactly right. As for me, I now have 199 ODI wickets and I intend to stick around to push past 200.

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 3rd July 2011

Anyone watching and listening to our performance in the field during our defeat in the second ODI against Sri Lanka at Headingley might have got the impression that there is rarely a moment when we are not at each others’ throats. More than once either myself or Graeme Swann would have been seen sending a strong word in the direction of one of our colleagues. And anyone not aware of how close we were as a group and how we want to go about our business might have been entitled to get the wrong end of the stick.

There’s no doubt that there was a time when we let things go too far; a time when a dropped catch would have brought an audible groan and a strong rebuke. In general, too many of us had too much to say for ourselves on the field. Mentioning no names, Swanny. But that’s not the case now. I’m not saying we just shrug our shoulders and say, ‘Awfully bad luck, old boy. Better luck next time’. Far from it. The fact is that we do shout and get angry and give vent to our frustrations when we’re falling below the standards we expect of ourselves (it shows we care) and bowlers are always going to get cross when a fielder makes a hash of one. As a bowler trying to keep things tight in oneday cricket especially, it’s so frustrating when you think someone has messed up or is not in the right fielding position, or that he has moved.

But we’re so tight as a unit that we know nothing is personal and everything is intended to improve the team. I can assure you the relationships are strong enough for any of us to be able to take honest criticism. There’s no point in just shouting aimlessly at someone. It’s about trying to be honest and constructive. It’s preferable by far to say something to improve the team rather than just ranting, and it’s also better than saying nothing.
We all want the same thing; for this team to be as good as we can be and maybe, in time, the best in the world in all forms. You don’t achieve those goals by not being 100 per cent committed and passionate. It should hurt when a catch goes down, or someone kicks a ball over the boundary… and it does. But it shouldn’t hurt to be honestly told to pull your finger out – and it doesn’t.

Alastair Cook has made an excellent start as our one-day captain. And before anyone says: ‘He would say that, wouldn’t he,’I do really mean it. Cookie was clearly nervous before taking the team on to the field in the first match at The Oval, probably most at the prospect of having to give us a pep talk in the huddle beforehand, and the laugh he got from us was born of genuine relief that he managed to get his words out without tripping over them.

I think he has been excellent tactically on the field. And I’m glad he got some good runs at Headingley because those who have criticised his selection as skipper are looking for him to fail with the bat to prove their point.
From what I know of Cook, he is a dangerous man to underestimate. Whatever he has needed to do to take the next step in his career he has done it, and I’m certain he will succeed in this latest challenge as well.

In hindsight, fielding first at Headingley might have been a big mistake. When we arrived in Leeds the day before, the pitch was grassy and green and we pace bowlers licked our lips — a pitch on which to play to our strengths. Surely, that’s what home advantage is all about? When we turned up on the day, the grass had been shaved off and it wasn’t long before a ball I bowled gripped on the dry surface, raising the thought that we might have been better off batting first and maybe playing a second spinner. We believe we have the players to succeed on any surface. However, we let ourselves down in our bowling during the last 10 overs of their innings

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 18th June 2011

We are told the Decision Review System is here to stay – though India don’t seem to have heard that – and, while I am broadly in favour, two instances in this Test have exposed serious flaws that do need addressing.
On Thursday, I bowled a full-length ball to Tharanga Paranavitana that pitched just outside off stump. I was convinced he nicked it and, when it landed in Matt Prior’s gloves, we all went up as one for the catch.

When the umpire gave it not out, we didn’t even think about not asking for a review. But appearances can be deceptive, so when Aleem Dar confirmed the third umpire agreed with his decision, on the basis that Hotspot showed no mark on the bat, we were disappointed and a little mystified, though we accepted it. I wasn’t so easy-going when, on returning to the dressing room, the guys told us Snicko, which is not available because it is considered unreliable and too slow, clearly indicated a noise when the ball passed the outside edge of the bat.
If Snicko showed there had been contact with the bat, how come Hotspot apparently did not?

I’m not 100 per cent sure Hotspot is any less flawed than Snicko. Leaving aside rumours of batsmen smearing Vaseline on their bat edges to foil Hotspot, there have been less scurrilous suggestions that marks do not show on the surface of some bat stickers.

I’m not convinced HawkEye is flawless either, yet umpires have to treat its findings as gospel. On Friday, Prasanna Jayawardene stayed on the back foot and, though the ball hit him above the knee roll, I was sure it was hitting leg stump. The pictures showed not enough of the ball would have hit the stumps to justify overturning the call. We were right that the ball would have hit the stumps so why are we penalised further by losing another review? In such cases, the fielding side should not lose a review. What batsmen can put on bats should be standardised and we should use all the technology, not just some.

Thanks to someone answering an SOS call to my agent on Thursday, a dartboard appeared in our dressing room on Friday to help us kill time during rain breaks. We get as bored as everyone else.

The biggest challenge is known as Graeme Swann avoidance. He can’t sit still for five minutes and generally makes you want to strangle him. He’ll either come and sit next to you and chew your ear off about some of the brilliant wickets he’s taken in the past or he’ll pick a target and take the mickey non-stop for a good hour.
Usually the victim is Andrew Strauss. Why our long-suffering skipper doesn’t just get him fired, I’ll never know.

Tremlett ticking at the top once more
There is no sight more inspiring in cricket than a tall fast bowler getting bounce off a length and making Test batsmen look decidedly anxious – if you’re another bowler, that is. Chris Tremlett has bowled brilliantly at the Rose Bowl and made some people wonder where he has been since making his debut against India in 2007. A combination of injury and being overtaken by others meant he disappeared until the last Ashes tour.
Critics said he dropped off the radar because he lacked ‘ticker’. I never saw that, but there is no doubt the guy is a far different character, more vocal, confident and assertive. We complement each other and, if the ball swings, that brings me right in it.

Bring on the ODIs
The squad for the one-day internationals is announced at the end of this match. Safe to say I’ve got the World Cup out of my system and I’m hoping to get the chance to show my one-day form there was to do with tiredness rather than long-term decline! I was worried that the latter might be the case, but the way I’ve bowled this season has given me renewed confidence to believe I can put it down to the former.

Read the full article with Mail on Sunday here

James Anderson writes for the Mail on Sunday: 11th June 2011

The sight of Kevin Pietersen hitting those sweet straight drives in the second innings of the second Test at Lord’s was one for sore eyes. If a batsman plays that shot well it shows the bat is coming down nice and straight and his balance is good. One score doesn’t mean you’re back in form. But, while he has been looking so good in the nets and he is so talented that we knew it was only a matter of time before he started scoring runs again, those runs still have to be scored and last week’s effort will have done him and England a lot of good.
There is no doubt that Kevin has had to contend with a lot more on and off the field than most other players.

People say he brought this on himself because of what critics call ‘KP, the brand’. The accusation that he is not a team player has come up a lot. Shane Warne dubbed him ‘the ego’ and Glenn McGrath called him Figjam – ‘Flip I’m good, just ask me’, or words to that effect. There were even suggestions Kevin might have ‘bitten the bullet’ and played on through the World Cup with his hernia. Regarding that issue, while it is true that some footballers have played a whole season with a similar condition, it’s a different story when you are diving around in the field and running quick singles. He seemed in a lot of discomfort, so if he was not in the right frame of mind, thinking he wasn’t fit enough to be there, it was probably better for him not to be. As for the other things, I believe we have seen a big change in Kevin’s attitude since he suffered the disappointment of being sacked as England captain.

Kevin is a very proud man. He was looking forward to a long stint as leader and to putting his own stamp on the team, and he never really got the chance to do that. Losing the job clearly hurt and I’m sure he’d love another crack one day, but I’m not certain that would be the best thing for him. Having seen him before, during and after he did the job, I believe he is actually much better suited to having a smaller but still important leadership role within the team, without the extra pressure of captaincy.

Perhaps the biggest lesson the experience has taught him is the value of team spirit and togetherness. His period in charge under the new coach Peter Moores was not a great time for the team; there were some big characters, big egos and big opinions in the dressing room. To me, too many people were bothered about who was the coach when they should have been focusing on performances on the field. While he will probably say different, there may have been a time in the past when Kevin was possibly not the perfect team player. He still has a big voice in the dressing room but these days he is a strong team man. What’s more, when he’s with us, there is no ‘brand’ in sight.

I also believe becoming a dad has helped him balance his life better. What people should never doubt is that Kevin is now and always has been very passionate about cricket, works incredibly hard on his game and cares massively about success for himself and for England. He swears he doesn’t read the newspapers but someone obviously does on his behalf because he seems to have a very good idea of what has been written about him, so I’m sure any criticism would have only made him more determined to prove people wrong. My bet is he is on the verge of doing just that.

Matt Prior has been in the news this week for differing reasons; his batting in the first innings at Lord’s and what he did with his bat after getting out in the second. All I can say is that there’s no way he’d have thrown deliberately anything at the window. Fact is, there isn’t a dressing room in the country without a hole in it somewhere.

Maybe it’s time to bring in Anger Management Rooms, sound-proofed boxes with padded walls and punchbags for disgruntled batsmen to let off steam without risk to others.

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James Anderson writes for the Mail On Sunday: 24th May 2011

We have made no secret of our ambition and our desire to become the best team in the world. That is not just an airy-fairy target. It is our expressed goal and we’re serious. To do it, the minimum requirement against Sri Lanka and India is to win, but if you want to move up the rankings you need to win convincingly. So, we’ll set out to win 3-0 and 4-0. The first game in Cardiff this week will be massive. We don’t want to give Sri Lanka a sniff or let them settle into the series. We want to hit them hard from the moment we get on the field either with bat or ball.
It will be great to meet up with the rest of the Ashes squad again this week, for the first time since Sydney.

It’s disappointing that we haven’t had time together to share our experiences and to reminisce before everyone went their separate ways. Yet even if we do have a moment to relive some of it that in the next few days, once that’s done all our focus will be on what we what we can still do. We want to be the world No 1 and if we do achieve that we will have to be the best England team there has ever been. We want to create our own legacy and set an example for the next generation and show them what can be achieved. When it comes to their pace-bowling options the England selectors can rarely have had it so good. I cannot recall so much strength in depth and so much variety.

Not wishing to tempt fate as regards injuries, we believe that with our tall guys who can hit the deck and our swing and seam bowlers we pretty much have options for every type of wicket. There are seven bowlers who have played for England over the winter: myself, Stuart Broad, Chris Tremlett, Tim Bresnan, Ajmal Shahzad, Steve Finn and Chris Woakes. Now Graham Onions has made a welcome return after injury and Jade Dernbach showed his potential by taking 5-44 in the first innings of the Lions match against Sri Lanka. Include others like James Harris and you see how many guys are currently in contention, putting us all under pressure to perform every time we bowl for England. As you can tell from Finn losing his place after becoming top wicket-taker in the first three Ashes Tests and me losing my spot in the World Cup team, no one is guaranteed a place in this side and that is exactly as it should be.

At the start of a new summer, when we will be playing against Sri Lanka and India, we must maintain our Ashes-winning momentum and that means I cannot let up for a moment. Pressure like that makes you do whatever you can to keep your spot knowing nothing less will do. Some might feel that kind of pressure can have a negative effect; that feeling you have to succeed or take wickets every time makes you try too hard and maybe overstretch. |That can happen. But in recent times the guys who have been selected have used that pressure to strive even harder. To be honest, it’s not a case of running up to bowl thinking I’ve got to get five-for today or else because when I’m on the field the only thing on my mind is executing our plans for each batsman.
If that all sounds like a ruthless approach to the future, it’s meant to.

To read the full article with Mail on Sunday click here

You and 2 of your mates have the opportunity to join James Anderson at the Premier League Darts event in Sheffield on April 14th (He is a little bit busy until then!).   At the darts you and your friends will sit with Jimmy in the VIP area, have a few beers and hopefully talk about England winning the World Cup!  888poker are going to throw in some cash for travel and beer and organize some hotel rooms!
Also if you knock me Jimmy off any of the online tournaments (He’ll play when he can, under the username: Janderson9), he will send you something he’ll personally autograph!
Everyday James have a freeroll running (with 1c rebuys) where the winner will win a seat in the April 10th Final. And if you don’t make it you can buy directly into the April 10th Final as well. Details of the daily tournaments and the final are below. So get cracking and come join him at the Darts. Is going to be a blast!
Click here for full details (you must be 18years of age+ to enter)