Flower rejects claims about Anderson
England cricket coach Andy Flower has rejected claims that James Anderson is not good enough to take wickets when the ball is not swinging.
Anderson took 11 wickets during the first test against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 of the summer. These wickets fell with the ball swinging around corners and when Anderson is bowling at his absolute best.
However, some have suggested that Anderson will struggle during the winter when England play on the flat wickets of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and with a different ball. Flower is certainly a believer that Anderson has what it takes to get the most out of conditions in any country.
Anderson will be leading the attack as England try to retain the Ashes this winter. Therefore it's important to look at all of the things he does well when the ball doesn't swing that can counter the negative views.
Anderson's qualities
Anderson is a very fit and fast bowler. Fast bowlers have to be patient and simply rely on bowling the ball in the right areas to take wickets. This is something that Anderson does and he can still move the ball in and out of a batsman even when there is no swing in the air.
Anderson has taken over 150 wickets during his test career and he has played in all continents around the world. It is very naive to think that he does not know how to mix up his bowling in different conditions to stop batsmen from being productive and to take wickets.
Anderson can bowl within himself and he can bowl with extreme effort. This is key when it comes to mixing up pace. If the ball is doing nothing through the air or off of the pitch then fast bowlers have to conserve their energy and use it at different times to put varying amounts of pace on the ball.
Flower said: "We know what he can do when the ball swings, and that was a very good thing for his confidence. If (Muttiah) Muralitharan came across a glass-like pitch he would be less effective than he is when he bowls at Galle. That is the same for any bowler - they have conditions that suit them more one day than the other. It is important for them to learn to adapt to those different situations."
Evidently Flower acknowledges that Anderson's pitching favours the swing game, but thinks he is an all-around strong enough pitcher to be part of the team in any conditions.
Pressure of this winter
The pressure of this winter is going to be huge and Anderson has not led an attack in Australia before in his career. It will be very new to him and the pressure placed on him will be like nothing he has ever experienced.
There are worries that he could crumble and if he does not work very hard on his variations after the series against Pakistan then he could go for a lot of runs. This is the main worry for England because allowing the Australians to put runs on the board will force them onto the back foot immediately.
Flower added: "He is learning, certainly. He is a better bowler than he was, and he will continue learning. He is a very experienced bowler now, and we do rely a lot on him - regardless of conditions - He is very mature for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/A-Young-c41367 man. He keeps things nice and simple, he keeps things in perspective which a great position for him to be."
Betting advice
England will go to the Ashes as slight favourites. Anderson is not a bad bowler by any means and any problems he faces will also face the other fast bowlers. He could be a very good punt to be top wicket taker by the end of the series.
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