After becoming the first Englishman to pass 300 Test wickets since cricketing legend Ian Botham in 1984, the man himself recently tipped James Anderson for greatness after his stunning performance on the second day of the 1st Test at Lords. “He is in the 300 club and I fully expect him to be in the 400 club,” said Botham.
Born in 1982, this Lancashire lad’s cricketing promise was first noticed at Burnley Cricket Club where he discovered that he could bowl faster than anyone else. He went on to make a debut for Lancashire against Surrey at Old Trafford aged just 19, and has since represented England in more than 50 test matches.
Jimmy’ as he is affectionately known, attributes much of his success to Botham. “I was infatuated with the game from an early age and had my own collection of cricket videos. But the one I watched most was my dad’s copy of Botham’s Ashes, the story of his brilliant performances in the 1981 series against the Aussies.”
Described as an “apprentice magician” by Wisden, Anderson certainly has a lot to live up to. Former England Captain Michael Vaughn recently said of him, “Anderson is right up there with the best that England have had, and he’s right up there with the best in the world.”
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