Before we begin the story of England’s James Anderson, let’s talk about some of his records, which seem impossible to break in world cricket. James Anderson played his last Test match against the West Indies at Lord’s in London.
- James Anderson is the only fast bowler in the history of Test cricket to have bowled over 40,000 deliveries. Ahead of him are Muttiah Muralitharan (44,039) and Shane Warne (40,705), both of whom were spinners.
- In terms of playing the most Tests, James Anderson is second only to Sachin Tendulkar (200 Tests). Anderson’s last Test at Lord’s was his 188th Test.
- Anderson also holds the record for conceding the most runs in Test cricket as a bowler, having given away 18,627 runs. Behind him is Anil Kumble, who conceded 18,355 runs in his Test career.
- Anderson was the first fast bowler to take 600 or more Test wickets and, in March 2024, he became the first fast bowler to reach 700 wickets.
So, these were some of James Anderson’s records on the cricket field. He is among the bowlers with the most wickets in Test history (704 wickets), only behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets) and Shane Warne (708 wickets). Anderson narrowly missed breaking Shane Warne’s record in his last Test match.
James Anderson was born on July 30, 1982, in Burnley, Lancashire. He bid farewell to cricket at the age of 41 years and 348 days. Anderson’s Test career began at Lord’s in London, and interestingly, he also ended his career at the same venue, often referred to as the “home of cricket.”
On May 22, 2003, Anderson played his first Test match against Zimbabwe at Lord’s, where he took five wickets in the first innings. His performance in that match showed that he was a long-term prospect. Anderson’s career, which started in 2003, came to a close at Lord’s in 2024.
James Anderson played his first ODI on December 15, 2002, in Melbourne, where he was quite expensive, giving away 46 runs in 6 overs and taking the wicket of Adam Gilchrist, who scored 124 runs in that match.
Anderson’s T20 International debut was on January 9, 2007, against Australia. His debut in this format was also not impressive, as he conceded 64 runs in 4 overs and took the wicket of Matthew Hayden.
In summary, Anderson’s ODI debut was in 2002, and he remained involved in international cricket for nearly 22 years.
James Anderson in Test Cricket:
- Matches: 188
- Wickets: 704
- Average: 26.45
- Strike Rate: 56.8
- Economy Rate: 2.79
- Best Innings Bowling: 7/42
- Best Match Bowling: 11/71
- Five-wicket hauls in an innings: 32
- Ten-wicket hauls in a match: 3
Preferred Test Over ODIs and T20s
Nowadays, many cricketers, especially the younger generation, don’t prioritize Test cricket. However, James Anderson was different; he distanced himself from ODIs and T20s to focus on Test cricket. After debuting in ODIs in 2002, he played his last match in this format in 2015, taking 269 wickets in 194 matches.
Similarly, his T20 International career started in 2007 and ended in 2009, with 18 wickets in 19 matches. These statistics clearly show that Anderson considered Test cricket as the true form of the game. Interestingly, Anderson never played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which underscores his commitment to Test cricket.
When Anderson’s Photos Stirred Controversy
In September 2010, James Anderson became the first cricketer to model naked for Britain’s best-selling gay magazine, Attitude. He stated that if any cricketers were gay, they should feel confident to come out. This photoshoot caused quite a stir at the time.
James Anderson’s International Career:
- 188 Test matches, 704 wickets, 26.45 average
- 194 ODIs, 269 wickets, 29.22 average
- 19 T20Is, 18 wickets, 30.66 average