Nasser Hussain Speaks Against James Anderson’s Selection For The 4th Test: England have kept the Ashes 2023 series alive with a 3-wicket tight finish win at Headingley. All the three Tests so far have gone down the wire. Australia won the first two at Edgbaston and Lord’s before the hosts bounced back in Leeds.
The 4th Test match of the series will be played at Old Trafford in Manchester, which is the home ground of legendary England pacer James Anderson where he also has an end named after him, The James Anderson End.
However, there are chances that the legendary seamer might not get to play at his home ground in what could well be the last opportunity for him to feature in a Test at his home ground for the 40-year-old who is nearing retirement.
As this Ashes 2023 series could be the last Ashes, or even the last series altogether, for Anderson, there might be some sentiments involved in the English camp to pick him for the 4th Test, even as Anderson has had an underwhelming series so far.
He played in the first two Test matches and picked up only 3 wickets at a poor average of 75. James Anderson didn’t play in Headingley and England brought back the duo of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes replacing Anderson and Robinson, and both Wood and Woakes played significant roles with both bat and ball to help England win.
James Anderson is not bowling well enough: Nasser Hussain
Former England skipper Nasser Hussain has cautioned Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum to not tweak with the winning combination and to not get emotional about Anderson.
Speaking with Sky Sports after the Headingley win, Hussain was queried about whether England can bring back Anderson for Broad, who has played in all 3 Tests and has done well, and rest Broad for the 4th Test. Hussain negated those suggestions, citing Anderson’s poor form in the first two Tests.
“It’s not a time for sentimentality or for resting and looking after people. I think Mark Butcher said it on commentary that these are all cup finals. You don’t up to the next game thinking, ‘Ok, we’ll get Stuart right for The Oval’. Why do you want Stuart bowling at The Oval if you’ve lost the Ashes? Mark Wood has bowled so many deliveries when the Ashes are lost, they’re wasted deliveries.
You rock up to Old Trafford, sit down with each of your bowlers. Who is your fittest bowlers? Who’s ready to go at Old Trafford? Who’s best for those conditions? You don’t have any emotion. [If] Jimmy Anderson’s not ready and he’s not bowling well enough, don’t worry about the Jimmy Anderson End, don’t worry about Old Trafford, this is the Ashes,” Nasser Hussain said.
Nasser hinted that, in his opinion, Anderson isn’t among the best England bowlers in this series and should be left out.
“You pick your bowlers to win that one game. Take emotion out of it, take how many they’ve played – they’ve all had a nine or ten-day break. You pick your best side and when you go to The Oval, if it’s two-all, you do that all over again,” he added.
