The Black Caps enigma that is Corey Anderson
OPINION: A world beater one day, frustratingly bad the next, injured most other days - Corey Anderson is somewhat of an enigma.
It’s truly difficult to get a gauge on the 26-year-old Christchurch-born cricketer, who on Sunday slammed 10 sixes - the most in a Twenty20 international for NZ against a hapless Bangladesh attack in Mount Maunganui.
Playing as a batsman only, the once highly touted all-rounder’s unbeaten 94 from just 41 balls was brutal and evoked memories of his stunning ODI ton against the West Indies in Queenstown three years ago when he blasted the then fastest century (36 balls) in history.
He’s come through the ranks with talent to burn, but can frustrate fans as much as Martin Guptill does when he swaps the coloured kit for whites.
Feast or famine is generally the way Anderson operates with bat in hand.
His 94 in the third and final T20 of the Bangladesh series followed scores of 13 and four in the first two matches.
He played a rash shot to spinner Shakib Al Hasan and picked out long off in the series opener, before he forgot to move his feet and was bowled by Mosaddek Hossain in the second match.
But just when his return to the side after another injury layoff due to his troublesome back was being questioned, Anderson feasted.
While his innings might have convinced some of Anderson’s worth, others certainly aren’t so sure.
Just an hour before the lefthander whacked Bangladesh all over the park, a colleague was heard calling Anderson ‘‘the most overrated cricketer in the world’’. Harsh. He was reminded of his statement after the match but refused to back down, instead slamming him as injury-prone, a player who only scores runs against lesser teams and a burglar with ball in hand.
It’s tough to argue against Anderson being prone to missing matches through injury. Perhaps only former Black Cap Jacob Oram, who only had to roll out of bed in the morning and he’d do a calf muscle, or Shane Bond frustrated fans more due to their inability to stay on the field.
Anderson has battled a bunch of injuries since making his international debut (T20) in 2012, the latest a stress-related injury to his back during the tour of England in 2015.
It flared up again during the T20 World Cup in India last March and forced him to be ruled out of tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa, before he played as a batsman only during last October’s ODI series against India.
Anderson’s average with bat in hand in tests (32.52), ODIs (29.91) make it hard to justify a spot in the team as a specialist batsman.
His 23.66 average in T20s is hardly inspiring, but his 140 strike rate and plenty of bowling options ensured his inability to bowl didn’t keep him out of the side.
But Anderson does plan to resume bowling shortly, which he believes will lift his batting game and hopefully bring him back into the ODI and test frame.
That might not excite everyone, but Anderson, be it with good or bad deliveries, has a knack of coming into the attack and taking wickets with his left-arm.
All going well, he might soon be able to get through enough overs to warrant selection as an allrounder in the two shorter formats of the game but, given his injury history, it’s doubtful he will be able to shoulder the bowling load in a test match to be considered as an all-rounder anytime soon.
However, at 26 and without too much mileage under his belt, Anderson has time on his side to stake a claim across all three forms.
But then again, who knows what to expect from a player with endless talent but too much inconsistency to yet be regarded as a world class player.