England’s top bowler in Tests, James Anderson, expects to recover from his groin injury in a couple of weeks. However, he won’t rush his comeback for the one-off Test against Ireland on June 1 to ensure he is fully fit for the Ashes series. Anderson suffered the injury playing for Lancashire last week but is still in the 15-man squad for the Test against Ireland from June 1, with the first Ashes Test scheduled to be held at Edgbaston from June 16.
The 40-year-old has claimed 685 wickets in Tests and is critical to England’s chances of winning after fellow pacer Jofra Archer was ruled out of the Ashes with an elbow injury. Anderson stated in the BBC’s Tailenders podcast, “It’s obviously not great getting injured but it’s probably the best outcome for what it is because it’s a low-grade thing. I think in a couple of weeks I’ll be back to full fitness.”
Anderson explained, “It’s frustrating because you always want to feel good and get enough bowling in before a series and you want to be fresh. So it’s now about trying to plan the best route through this summer. I felt like I needed to play this game so it’s not ideal, but I’m not stressed about it.” Anderson is attempting to avoid a repeat of 2019 when he suffered a niggling calf injury that ruled him out of the remainder of the series against Australia, with the visitors retaining the Ashes after the series in England ended in a 2-2 draw.
“I’m just taking it day by day and seeing how it goes because obviously I don’t want to risk anything by making it worse,” Anderson added. “I’m more confident I can get this one right (compared to 2019) and give the Ashes a right good crack.”