NASSER HUSSAIN ON OUR PACE HEROES
Broad and Anderson are the masters for all Test conditions
That was the first time since 1963, when Fred trueman and Brian Statham were together, that England had their two leading wickettakers playing in the same test — which says everything about Jimmy anderson and Stuart Broad.
It says much about the quality of Broad, too, that he should go past Sir Ian Botham’s tally of wickets at Edgbaston because, even if you take away the runs he scored, Botham was a world- class bowler in his own right.
Broad, in particular, is a very intelligent bowler and I found it fascinating to listen to and watch him at Edgbaston last Monday night when I went along to England’s pink-ball practice under lights.
he and anderson weree dis-discussing the pink ball and how to get the best out of it with ith bowling coach Ottis Gibbson and keeper Jonny y Bairstow. It was a reall education for me to be there and appreciate the skill involved.
When David Saker was England bowling coach he said anderson was the e most skilful bowler in thee world and I know exactly tly what he means now. I watch tch the pair and marvel at the subtle changes in seam position,sition, wobble seam, the way theyhey both work on the ball and communicate with each other.
It helps that they are different bowlers and complement each other. there is a difference in trajectory. Jimmy keeps coming at you with skiddy pace and can be more reliable and consistent, while Stuart gets more bounce, can trouble you with the short ball and is hard to drive.
Broad can drift in and out of series, as we have seen this summer, but you just know that one day, as he did on Saturday, his legs will start kicking and he becomes an unstoppable force.
I would say both are difficult to captain and Joe Root is perhaps still coming to terms with dealing with them, unless his style is to be defensive. It can be a constant battle with them to post an extra catcher.
In this first test England had West Indies following on and virtually down and out but Root still only had two slips and a gully, which comes from anderson and Broad hating to concede runs.
the only criticism of the pair is that for two such highly skilled bowlers who can get so much movement, they tend to pitch it a fraction short, as we saw on the first morning at trent Bridge against South africa.
It was inexplicable to me that Broad once went through a spell where England considered him their ‘ enforcer’ and wanted him to bombard the batsmen with short deliveries. he is so much more than that. the duo are different. Stuart loves the limelight and will talk for hours on bowling whereas Jimmy is a little more shy and reserved.
there is no rivalry between them and that’s probably because they have never been a threat to each other. When anderson first emerged he was held back by England’s ‘fab four’ — Steve harmison, Matthew hoggard, andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones — but now he appreciates having Broad at the other end.
there is mutual respect because they know it helps them take wick- ets to operate as a pair. although they can worry too much about going for runs, bowling ‘dry’ to build up pressure is a big tactic of theirs.
England may need to look after them in australia this winter by having that sixth bowler, which seemed superfluous earlier this season.
It will, of course, be a lot more difficult in australia than against West Indies but it is unfair to say that anderson doesn’t perform away from home. he is simply more skilful with a Dukes ball in English conditions than he is with a Kookaburra overseas but he’s not alone in that.