“The ambition to play one more Ashes in England is still strong”
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England pace bowler James Anderson has revealed that he is eager to keep playing international cricket until the 2019 Ashes series.
Anderson has been plagued with injuries since last summer, but did recover in time to feature in the first Test against South Africa, which started on Thursday at Lord’s.
With an Ashes series scheduled to take place in Australia later this year, Anderson revealed that he has “unfinished business” to take care of.
“The ambition to play one more Ashes in England is still strong,” Anderson wrote in his column for The Telegraph. “It is two years away and I know a lot can happen in that time.
“A player can get a career ending injury at any moment or a lack of form can cost them their place so I know I have to take it step by step, summer by summer.
“I want to go to Australia this (English) winter. It is an amazing tour. There is nothing quite like an Ashes trip Down Under. I have experienced both winning and losing in Australia and I feel like I have unfinished business.”
However, even though Anderson has won four Ashes series in his illustrious career and has established himself as England’s pace spearhead, former Australia captain Ian Chappell doesn’t think the 34-year-old will be guaranteed a spot in the Test side for the highly-anticipated series in November due to his disappointing record in Australia.
“I think he’s got a lot to prove in Australia and what he’s shown so far he might be lucky to hold a spot in Australia,” Chappell told The Unplayable Podcast. “(New ball partner Stuart) Broad’s got a better record than him in Australia.
“Broad’s style of bowling is perhaps better suited to Australia and then when you’ve got (Chris) Woakes and (Ben) Stokes, I like the look of Mark Wood, Jake Ball is a pretty reasonable (fast bowler), they’ve got a lot of good young quicks around so I wouldn’t see James Anderson as a certainty in the (team).
“I think he’ll come to Australia but I don’t necessarily see him as a certainty in the XI.”