Stokes hails Anderson on the 20th anniversary of his Test debut
‘I was 11!’ England captain Ben Stokes hails Jimmy Anderson’s longevity on the 20th anniversary of the legendary bowler’s Test debut against Zimbabwe
- England’s Jimmy Anderson is one of the greatest Test match bowlers of all-time
- The Lancashire seamer has picked up a remarkable 685 Test wickets at 25.99
- Today marks the 20th anniversary of his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 2003
Ben Stokes marvelled at Jimmy Anderson’s longevity after it passed 20 years since the England bowler made his Test debut.
Anderson is one of the sport’s greatest bowlers of all-time and has the most-ever Test wickets for a seamer with 685.
Despite being 40, he remains integral to England under Stokes’s captaincy, meaning significant alarm was raised when he picked up a groin strain while playing for Lancashire recently.
The knock has been played down by the ECB who insist his fitness is not a real concern for the Ashes, though it remains unclear whether Anderson will play against Ireland next week.
His decorated Test career, which has seen him pick up his wickets at an impressive average of 25.99, began on May 22 2003 – meaning Monday marks the 20th anniversary of his debut.
Ben Stokes hailed Jimmy Anderson’s longevity on the 20th anniversary of his Test match debut
Anderson (right) receives his Test cap on his first appearance against Zimbabwe back in 2003
The legendary bowler outlined his shock that 20 years had passed since his England bow
Ben Stokes went even further and highlighted just how remarkable Anderson’s durability is
England celebrated the occasion with a post on Twitter, showing a clip of his first Test wicket – Zimbabwe batsman Mark Vermeulen – with Anderson sharing this and simply saying: ’20 years,’ accompanied by a shocked emoji.
Test skipper Stokes, 31, then went even further and added: ‘I was 11,’ in tribute to the remarkable length of Anderson’s international career.
The Durham all-rounder has racked up almost 6,000 runs and 200 wickets in 91 Tests which is a superb effort in itself.
Unbelievably, Anderson shows no signs of slowing down, having taken 108 wickets at 20.37 runs apiece since 2020 – more than five runs better than his career average.
Despite his age, Anderson’s fitness and form will be integral to any hopes England have of regaining the Ashes this summer.
He will turn 41 during the fifth Test at the Oval at the back end of July, but will still lead a bowling attack that is depleted by the injuries to Jofra Archer and Olly Stone.
Anderson (left) remains an integral part to Stokes’s England team ahead of the Ashes
Anderson celebrates his first Test wicket in 2003 (left) but remains a key player today (right)
Elsewhere, there are concerns over the fitness of Ollie Robinson – who limped out of Sussex’s recent County Championship game with Glamorgan and will undergo a scan on his left ankle on Monday.
England’s Ashes preparations ramp up next week as they take on Ireland in a one-off Test at Lords.
Meanwhile, Australia’s squad will begin to come together with several of their players – like England’s – finishing off commitments in the IPL, while others like Steve Smith have just concluded stints with English counties.
They face India in the World Test Championship final on June 7, before the Ashes commences at Edgbaston on June 16.
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