James Anderson, England’s all-time highest wicket taker in Tests, has recently picked the best captain he has played under. Anderson, who needs no introduction, is widely regarded as one of the best swing bowlers in Test cricket history. His unreal ability to swing the ball both ways with precision and control has earned him accolades and recognition from cricket experts and fans worldwide.
No wonder, Anderson’s mastery of bowling is evident in his impressive career statistics as he holds the record for the most Test wickets taken by a fast bowler, and is the third highest wicket-taker in the longest format. In fact, the 40-year-old is close to reach the 700 wickets landmark as he currently has 685 scalps to his name in 179 Tests.
Anderson made his international debut in 2003 under the captaincy of Nasser Hussain and then the Burnley Express played a significant part in England’s successful Ashes series win in 2005 under the captaincy of Michael Vaughan.
After Vaughan’s retirement, Anderson continued to excel under Andrew Strauss‘s leadership, helping the Three Lions regain the Ashes in Australia in 2010-11. The Lancashire cricketer was then captained by Alastair Cook, Joe Root and Ben Stokes. When it comes to choosing the best skipper he has played under, Anderson went for Stokes, who won 10 of his first 12 games in charge.
Anderson termed Stokes as a ‘born leader’ and reckoned the Christchurch-born cricketer is completely different from any captain the right-arm pacer has played under.
“I think he’s been spot on so far. The way he plays, he leaves everything out there. So he’s a born leader. It is hard to say over a short period of time but he’s had an amazing start. I think he is completely different from any captain I’ve ever played with before and I’ve really enjoyed it,” said Anderson as quoted by BBC.
The right-arm pacer mentioned that Stokes’ tactical acumen on the field has been impeccable while his emotional intelligence and art of communicating with each individual in the team is truly impressive.
“For me, it’s the finer details, not just on the field where his tactical nous has been spot on, but also his emotional intelligence off the field and how he talks to everyone in the group. If he needs to put his arm around someone or fire someone up, he’s just got a really good way of doing that. And the way he speaks to the group as well is excellent. So I’ve been really impressed,” added Anderson.
