Rethinking James Anderson’s ODI career

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

So now it seems pretty much everyone accepts that James Anderson is a Test ATG. His record after 30 is as good as some of the greats of the game itself. So I hope we can put his status as a Test great to rest.

What I want to discuss is James Andersons ODI career. It’s often assumed that he is a test only bowler and that he was trash in ODIs.

But if you look at his ODI numbers he isn’t all that bad.

For starters, he is England all time leading wicket taker in ODIs. Bet most people don’t know that. His economy is under 5 an over which is fairly impressive too considering he wasn’t a bowler who’s job was to restrict runs.

His tournament record is mixed. He was great in his first World Cup in 2003 but bang average in the next three. In champions trophy he was generally very very good and averaged in low 20s.

I guess he was unlucky (or some would say part of the reason) to play most of his ODIs in absolutely terrible English teams. But all things considered he certainly wasn’t the major reason why those teams sucked.

Anyways my question is how do you guys rate his ODI career and do you think he is underrated. He certainly isn’t an ODI great but I also feel he doesn’t get his due. He most certainly wasn’t a useless ODI player and can’t be called just a one format player either imo.

 

[Mamoon]

He is underrated. Anderson was a really good ODI bowler & was always a threat with the new ball.

England moved on from him after the 2015 World Cup because he got thrashed pretty badly in that tournament & he was beginning to struggle in the death overs because of his lack of pace.

However, he always finds a way to succeed & I think had they not dropped him, he would have tweaked his bowling to improve.

Some might say that not playing ODIs prolonged his Test career but I don’t think so. He is a physical freak who can just go on forever.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

I usually don’t give too much of a human excrement about stats and averages but what I do know is this,

If you give top 100 talented young kids to Wasim Akram, give him 10 million dollars and 10 years to coach - he won’t be able to produce another Wasim Akram - And the reason is, Wasim was naturally born with a body that was naturally aligned to produce swing. Whether it was the head position, elbow pivot, shoulder strength, trajectory, wrist position, grip, foot landing or WHATEVER - but Wasim doesn’t know exactly what’s the perfect combination and amount of each factor in the mix, that generates the desired swing at demand. It’s because he was born with it.

And since he doesn’t know it, he can’t teach it to others.
He has many YT videos where he tells you to put shine on one side and the ball will swing or reverse. Many have tried his tips - no one can swing like him.

How many years have Waqar coached Pak bowlers - was he able to produce a bowler who could bowl half of Waqar’s in dipping Yorkers (even with “allegedly” tempered ball)? None!

Anderson on the other hand is a different animal altogether. He definitely had some inborn talent, but for the most part, he actually painstakingly learned it over the years to put all those factors in the right mix to get the desired amount of seam n swing . (Yes, his ball tends to swing more in England - but that’s also the case with many other non English pace bowlers - it’s the atmosphere and playing conditions that are a major factor.)

So, here is the difference, if you give a few talented young kids to Anderson, he may not be able to produce a 100% Anderson but I am sure quite close to one.

There was voting done on the very first ( I think) Pak cricket forum (thats done n dusted now)in 2003/4 to pick your favorite fast bowler - I picked Jimmy and wrote a little column with it, for which I won some recognition award. I don’t care about the award but I am glad I picked him.

IMO He is the best in class when we say, pace bowling in a poetic motion.

 

[James]

I wonder in an alternate history if he had carried on after 2015 in ODIs under Eoin Morgan’s leadership, would we have seen a mini renaissance in his limited overs career alongside his evergreen contributions as a Test bowler.

 

[Markhor]

I remember his first real breakout moment actually being an ODI against us in 2003 World Cup.

 

[pratiktc]

Honestly he couldn't have fit in.

His skillset is new ball swing and maybe he could have developed like Bhuvi slower ball variations and wide yorker accuracy to be somewhat ok for bowling 2-3 ovs in death.

But Chris Woakes does all of this at about 10% more pace with 10 yrs less mileage in his boots and he can bat at 25 avg/95 SR levels.

 

[Saj]

Credit to the player in the way he has looked after himself and his professionalism and credit to the ECB in managing and prolonging his career perfectly.

If he was Pakistani he'd have been finished many years ago having been forced to play in all 3 formats.

 

[sweep_shot]

He wasn't horrible in ODI but was also not excellent. He was an average ODI bowler (just like Dale Steyn).

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Honestly he couldn't have fit in.

His skillset is new ball swing and maybe he could have developed like Bhuvi slower ball variations and wide yorker accuracy to be somewhat ok for bowling 2-3 ovs in death.

But Chris Woakes does all of this at about 10% more pace with 10 yrs less mileage in his boots and he can bat at 25 avg/95 SR levels.

Good point. His absolutely tailender batting would have held against him esp since apart from Jofra archer England tended to pick everyone who could bat to some degree.

But I do think as a bowler he would have reinvented himself

 

[GLORY OF '92]

I remember his first real breakout moment actually being an ODI against us in 2003 World Cup.

He made Moyo look like an amateur. Some bowling that was.

 

[Justcrazy]

He was not bad, with new ball could still give you early wicket . The issue is latter on with his pace he would go for runs easily. The idea would be to give him a long first spell of 7 - 8 overs at strech , which is not possible in most conditions.

England also preffer someone who can bat , the gameplan they have , is ultra agressive , they need batting right down the end.

 

[Ahmad-GERMANFC]

Bumping this on his retirement day

He is probably not an ATG level limited overs bowler by any means but he isn’t terrible either like some people make it seem.

Also he was part of 2010 T20 World Cup winning squad.