On their first meeting
Anderson The first game we played against each other was Lancashire v Leicestershire at Old Trafford in 2005. I remember Gibbo [Ottis Gibson] was playing for you guys, but I don’t think we actually spoke to each other.
Broad No, we definitely didn’t speak to each other because you’re not exactly the most socially friendly bloke with people you don’t know! I can then remember an England preparation camp for the 2006-07 Ashes in Loughborough. You were going on that tour but I was just up there as part of the academy and a few of us got involved in the training camp. But you didn’t speak to anyone you didn’t already know.
Anderson I was just shy. Although Cooky always reminds me that the first words I ever uttered to him were a send-off in an Essex game!
On playing together for the first time at the 2007 World Cup
Broad In our very first game as team-mates we hit the winning runs together. I don’t think we’ve ever done it since.
Anderson We are very rarely out there batting together when games finish. Even in drawn games, Broady is nowhere to be seen. You’re a bit of a cowboy, aren’t you
Broad Longest nought in the history of English Test cricket, old boy!
On whether their friendship is competitive
Anderson Not really, because we weren’t really like-for-like. We are different types of bowlers.
Broad I would come in for Harmy to begin with and Jimmy would come in for Hoggy, and then when we got our chance together in New Zealand [in their first Test together in 2008], Ryan Sidebottom was the main opening bowler so we had different roles to play.
Anderson We’d toured Sri Lanka together in 2007 and both carried the drinks a fair bit, which was good for us because we spent a lot of time together and got to know each other doing 12th-man duties. Swanny was there with us doing the same, so that’s where the friendship grew from. Some people say having competitiveness between team-mates is healthy but I’ve never really found it to be healthy. For example, the Gough/Caddick relationship in the dressing room was absolutely horrible to experience. It might have driven them on but from a team’s point of view it was awful.
Broad We’ve never had that edge to want to outdo each other. We’ve had occasions where we’ve actually tried to get the other one a wicket if they’re on four, or nine for the match.
Anderson We played Sri Lanka last year and I was on nine for the match. They were nine down and Broady came off mid-spell and said: “Come on, you get this last one.”
On family
Broad Our parents are quite close actually.
Anderson We went for a coffee this afternoon and bumped into Stu’s mum and stepdad and got chatting. At the end his mum says: “I’ll tell your mum and dad I’ve seen you and you’re doing well.” It’s quite nice that they’ve been through this whole journey with us for more than 10 years and they’ve got a relationship too.
Broad That’s one of the good things about cricket, the friendships around the game. My parents are still good friends with Straussy’s parents.
On their best spells of bowling
Anderson The best I’ve seen from him was in the 2009 Ashes at The Oval – cleaned them up good and proper. Seriously good balls to seriously good players. It was under pressure, an important moment. That was a terrific spell.
Broad Jimmy at Trent Bridge in 2013 was incredible – not just the fact it was a long spell, but a genuine match-winning performance. To get 10-for on a pitch that no one else got much out of was so skilful. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt as on-edge as I was that last day and he pops up with that final wicket. And I can remember my favourite moment on the field to his bowling was in the 2015 Ashes when I was stood at short mid-on and he nicked off Adam Voges. Mitch Marsh came in and went for a big drive. I was next to Chris Rogers, the non-striker, and as Marsh played the shot I could hear Rogers go: “Ahhh no!” There’s a picture of that somewhere.
Anderson Talking of pictures, I remember another great spell from him and then taking the catch in Durham in 2013 to win the Ashes, and you’ve got Broady in the foreground and me throwing the ball up. These are the moments you live for.
On the toughest batsmen they have faced
Broad Marcus Trescothick. No question. I hate bowling to him. I pitch it up, he drives me through the covers. I bowl back of a length, he runs me down to third-man. I go short, and he lifts me over the keeper or pulls me for four. People say go full with an in-swinger early to him, he just hits me for four. He’s the one I’ve never found a way past.
Anderson You should run it across him from straight. I struggle with batsmen who have a lot of time and make you feel slower than you are, so Kumar Sangakkara was a big one. I’ve got him early once or twice but if you don’t he’s getting 180. Hashim Amla is similar.
On the players they enjoy bowling to
Broad AB de Villiers, Ross Taylor, Michael Clarke.
Anderson I look back to my early days and think: “I would love to bowl at Graeme Smith with the skills I’ve got now.” Or Ricky Ponting. In 2010 I had some success, but before that I hated it – I was scared of bowling at him. I’d love to bowl at Hayden, Gilchrist and people like that now, because it might be a bit more of an even contest.
On the advice they would give their younger selves
Broad Believe in your mental approach more. Mark Bawden [England’s team psychologist] helped me at the end of 2010 when I decided I needed to make a change emotionally.
I threw the ball at the Pakistan keeper [Zulqarnain Haider], I was getting into a bit of trouble and getting a reputation. Mark set up a whole “warrior mode” mentality for me so when I get angry I look out of the ground. If I could have done that when I was 20 instead of 25 I would have developed much quicker as a cricketer. But then you need to make mistakes to learn.
Anderson I’ve not heard you say that before and I was exactly the same with Bawds. Before I met him I got angry and then would try to bowl as fast as I could and leak more runs. It was pointless. Since I’ve controlled that, I’ve got a lot better. I would also tell a 20-year-old me to trust myself more. Even if you’re in the England team, just because a coach says something it’s not gospel. Filter the stuff that works for you and trust your own mind.
On the summer ahead for England
Anderson We’ve got to start producing the goods more often. We’ve been so inconsistent over the winter and it has cost us. <B><I>We’re more comfortable at home, which helps,</I></B> but we have to be on our A-game for Pakistan and then for India. It won’t be easy.
Broad We can’t be complacent at all and we won’t be.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/may/16/james-anderson-stuart-broad-england-cricket
