Ravi Shastri lauds evergreen James Anderson
Shastri spoke in awe of Anderson when discussing the recent big change to the MRF Tyres ICC Men's Test Rankings on the latest episode of The ICC Review, as the England seamer climbed to the top of the tree for Test bowlers for the sixth time in his career.
The former India captain recalled the amount of work Anderson used to put in to ensure he was always at his best and said it is his ability to train at 100 percent that makes him stand out from the rest and is allowing him to prosper so late in his international career.
Shastri sings James Anderson's praises | ICC Review
"I used to watch him so closely when I was a coach on tours of England every time. And what I used to admire was his work ethic,” Shastri said.
"Even in Indian conditions, there were times he didn't play in India. But he would go out to bowl at lunch or straight after the day’s play or before the day’s play.
"I would say he would bowl 20 balls or 25 balls at the most. But every ball, he would give it his all. And at times I would tell my fast bowlers, ‘Just watch that. Just watch the professionalism, the work ethic’.
"And it's not a half-hearted delivery. Those 15-20 balls, whatever they had to bowl, would be as if he's bowling in a game. He bowls six and maybe takes a little break as if it's someone else's bowling. Then come back and do that. And then the action, the follow through and the rhythm, the running in, was just the same for all those 20 balls.
"So these are real professionals, and a stickler for fitness. You can't play at 40 and produce these kinds of results unless you are supremely fit. So, hats off. Well done, Jimmy. I would say. He’s a role model. He inspires so many. Leave alone batters playing at the age of 40, but for a fast bowler to play at 40, you just salute it."
Anderson's longevity has helped him amass a total of 682 Test wickets, with spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708) the only bowlers to have more Test scalps to their name.
A total of 429 of Anderson’s Test wickets have come at home and Shastri said there's no doubt the right-armer is the best of all time in those suitable English conditions.
"Jimmy will be number one in England,” Shastri noted.
"He is a master of his craft and as good as any swing bowler you've seen in English conditions.
"He'll be right up there, right up with the very best in the world in those conditions."
“You've got to know where your off stump is. Otherwise he'll find it very quickly and he will expose you badly.”