In 2014, James Anderson had been in the game for ten years at the age of thirty-one when Moeen Ali made his Test debut.
Since then, the all-rounder has left the format, but Anderson has continued to play for England and amass wickets in the County Championship for amusement. It’s not easy for any cricketer, especially a seam bowler, to play red-ball cricket for 22 years, but the pacer overcame all the odds to become one of the best to ever play the sport.
When it comes to red-ball cricket, Moeen Ali recognises the value the veteran cricketer brought to the table. Before his final Test match against the West Indies, Ali praised Anderson and referred to him as the all-time great seam bowler. The all-round player expressed gratitude to Anderson for letting him use his dressing room and for allowing him to share his ideas.
“During my Test career, there were moments when I could not believe how fortunate I was to play with Jimmy Anderson on the England team, as I sat in the dressing room thinking silently about the situation. In his column for Yahoo Sports, Ali stated, “He really is a once in a generation cricketer and, in my opinion, the greatest seam bowler of all time.”
Great shame that his career must end: Moeen Ali
The all-around cricket player also discussed Anderson’s current form and mentioned how unfortunate it is that his international career is ending the way it has. The 37-year-old spoke about his recent exploits against Nottinghamshire and said that the pacer could have taken more wickets if he had played all summer.
“It is quite unfortunate that this must come to a stop, as he is still capable of bowling at an extremely high level at 42 years old. Take a look at Lancashire’s seven-wicket total from last week. He would get a lot more wickets if he played all summer, said Ali.
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The soon-to-be retired pacer’s consideration of taking on the mentorship role for the Test team and his willingness to make a comeback if necessary pleased Ali, too.
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