The English pacer James Anderson recently becomes the leading Test wicket-taker (564 Test wickets) as a pace bowler after surpassing the former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath’s 563 Test wickets record. However, Anderson claims Glenn McGrath, Dale Steyn ahead of him.
The legendary Australian pacer Glenn McGrath has recently showered of praises on Anderson’s bowling skills. However, Anderson claims McGrath was a much better bowler than him.
Recently, Anderson told Fox Sports, “He was a much better bowler than me. This is not false modesty. I may have gone past his wicket tally, but I honestly believe McGrath’s bounce, relentless accuracy, aggression and ability to move the ball made him superior. He had everything.
“I also loved McGrath’s attitude. He had plenty of a snarl on the field — a bit like me, I suppose — and was super-competitive. He hated giving away runs or not taking wickets. We’ve shared a beer a few times and he’s a cracking fellow. I listened to the way he prepared for games and it really helped me.”
“I heard him say once that he practised for when the ball didn’t swing. So if it did swing, it was a bonus. That philosophy has been a big part of my development. You so often see bowlers pick out a lovely new ball from the bag at nets and it looks great when it swings in the air and nips off the seam with batsmen playing and missing. But you have to simulate match situations.”
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Moreover, Anderson also praised the South African pacer Dale Steyn and added that he is also the better pacer than him.
Anderson added, “Of the modern era, I’d happily tip my hat towards Dale Steyn. With his express pace, control and swing, he’s better than me, too.”
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McGrath recently has claimed that Anderson can cross the 600 Test wickets mark. Though Anderson has no plan to retire from the Test cricket soon, he also added that the future can be change soon.
Anderson said, “McGrath reckons I can go past 600 Test wickets — I’m on 564 — and I don’t see why that is not possible because I feel fit, enthusiastic and surprisingly fresh for a 36-year-old after five Tests in little more than six weeks. But I remember McGrath saying he went into the 2006-07 Ashes in Australia with no plans to retire but, by the end of that series, he knew his time was up.
“Maybe it could happen to me just as suddenly but, right now, I have no plans to follow Cooky [Alastair Cook] into retirement.”
