James Anderson 'praying' for England recall after being ignored for WI tour: Just want to keep bowling
India Today
Veteran England pacer James Anderson, who has taken 640 Test wickets, has said that he is hoping to win back his place in the Test squad.
England pacer James Anderson has broken his silence on the West Indies tour snub and said that he is hoping that he will win back his place in the Test squad. Anderson expressed his frustration over the five-minute phone call he received from the England board informing him about his ouster from the Test side.
The veteran pacer also pointed out that the upcoming director and head coach of the team should conduct a detailed discussion before making further decisions. Eight players - Anderson, Dom Bess, Sam Billings, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed, and Dawid Malan - who featured in the recent Ashes series, have missed out on selection for the Test series against West Indies.
"I'm praying this isn't the end. I've got one more go at digging deep. I've got a lot left to offer - I've still got the hunger and passion to play. It was a shock and a disappointment to get that call, but having processed it, it's important I try to focus on the stuff I can control and that's showing people what I can do with the ball in my hand," Anderson said on the Tailenders Podcast, as reported by ICC.
“There is likely to be a new director of cricket and new head coach so I just hope that whatever decision is made, it is talked about in the way that it should be. Another frustration for me is that it was just a five-minute phone call it doesn’t really clear much up for you," Anderson further said, as quoted by the Guardian.
Earlier on Thursday, England captain Joe Root insisted that both pacers are “obviously disappointed” but assured that it is not the “end for them.”
“I’ve spoken to Stuart and Jimmy and they’re obviously disappointed, angry, and Stuart in particular has voiced that quite publicly. And you’d expect that. I’ve got a huge amount of respect for both of them. At no point it’s been made very clear no one is saying this is the end for them,” Root said, as quoted by the Guardian.
