The former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes that James Anderson is not performing at his best in the ongoing Ashes 2023 series. However, Ponting acknowledges that Anderson is a champion of the game and should not be written off.
In the two Tests of the Ashes 2023 series, right-arm pacer James Anderson has taken 2 wickets in 3 innings, with a bowling average of 81.0. In the current Lord’s Test, the 40-year-old managed to dismiss Cameron Green, while in the previous Test, he took only 1 wicket.
Speaking on ICC Review, Ricky Ponting, a former player and cricket expert, expressed his view that James Anderson has been struggling in the ongoing series. Ponting believes that Anderson may not be performing at his peak at the moment.
“You never write off champions. That’s one thing I know about the game. James Anderson has been a champion of the game and will continue to be until he wants to retire. Skill-wise, it still looks like he has it all. But I think he personally feels that he’s probably not quite at his best right now,” the former right-handed batsman stated.
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Ponting, who led Australia to victory in the ICC ODI World Cup in 2003 and 2007, also expressed surprise at Mitchell Starc replacing Scott Boland in the Australian team for the Lord’s Test. According to Ponting, the pitch conditions at Lord’s were suitable for a bowler like Boland.
“I was a little bit surprised. When I arrived here and looked at the Lord’s wicket with the expected overcast conditions for the first couple of days, I thought those conditions would suit Boland perfectly as well. So, I don’t see if there’s any minor injury concern with Scott. To be honest, Starc has managed to get the ball swinging a bit in this game, which is what they want to see from him. But all I can say is that I was surprised they made the change,” the 48-year-old Ponting further explained.
Although James Anderson reached the top rank in the ICC rankings earlier this year, he currently holds the second spot, with Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin taking the lead. Among pacers, Anderson is the leading wicket-taker in international cricket.
In the ongoing England vs. Australia 2nd Test, England posted 278-4 in their first innings, with Ben Duckett contributing an impressive knock of 98 runs. Previously, Australia scored a massive 416-10 in their first innings, courtesy of a stunning century by Steve Smith (110).