Why England should ditch sentimentality and bench James Anderson for final Ashes Test

Despite announcing he is still ‘hungry’ and has no intention of retiring, Anderson’s poor record this Ashes series means he must be overlooked at the Oval

July 25, 2023 6:43 pm(Updated 6:44 pm)

England cannot afford to be sentimental when it comes to selection for this week’s final Ashes Test at The Oval – and that means leaving James Anderson out of their team.

Anderson, who turns 41 on Sunday, is his country’s all-time leading wicket-taker and before this summer had been in sensational form in the latter stages of his career, taking 205 Test wickets at 20.82 since turning 35 in July 2017.

However, his performances in this Ashes series, four wickets at 76.75, mean he cannot justifiably be picked this week.

It’s not like Anderson’s record at The Oval is a factor, with 49 wickets at 32.12 a decent return by most other bowler’s standards but below par for the Lancastrian, whose career average is 26.

So, with Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue waiting in the wings, Anderson surely cannot be selected.

Whether we have seen him play his final Test or not remains to be seen. Yet that is not the issue right now. England need to pick an attack to take 20 wickets at The Oval and so fielding Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, Tongue and one of Chris Woakes or Robinson as the four seamers for this final Test is necessary.

Woakes, if fit, retains his place after two brilliant performances at Headingley and Old Trafford. Given he hadn’t played Test cricket for 16 months before coming back into the team at Leeds, it’s no surprise the 34-year-old is struggling with soreness.

But his potential unavailability shouldn’t open the door for Anderson, with Robinson, who took 10 wickets in the first two Tests before suffering a back spasm in the third at Leeds, the right man to come into the team instead.

Tongue, too, looks a better bet to cause Australia problems at The Oval than Anderson, especially as the 25-year-old performed so well in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s.

If Anderson is overlooked this week, it shouldn’t necessarily be the end. He has earned the right to retire on his own terms.

If he believes he can do a job in England’s next Test series in India early next year – and his comments this week suggest he does – he should be in that squad.

It’s only two years since Anderson took eight wickets at 15.87 there on pitches that were almost exclusively prepared for spin.

In the one match where seam played a key role, the first Test in Chennai, Anderson took three for 17 in India’s second innings to help seal a memorable 227-run win.

Experience is key for this England team and Anderson’s is unparalleled – 689 wickets in 182 Tests.

It would be wise not to throw that away, even if there is a sense that next summer’s low-key series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies may be the perfect time to start blooding a younger bowling without Anderson and Stuart Broad, who turns 38 next summer.

That may be the case but if the hunger to continue playing is still there from both, why not allow them to be part of the transition? Have them both in and around the squad so the younger bowlers can learn from them as they have done over the past few years.

Not picking Anderson this week wouldn’t change anything on that front. It appears that the man himself has no intention of calling time on his career, if his latest column for the Telegraph is anything to go by.

Writing on Tuesday, Anderson stated categorically: “Ten or 15 years ago the debate would be about whether I should be dropped. Now it is about my future. I understand that. It is The Oval, the end of a series and a time for speculation.

“I keep talking to the coach and captain. They want me around, so as long as I am still hungry, want to put in the work then I will keep trying to give my best for the team. That is exactly where I am at the minute.

“I love playing Test cricket as much as I ever have and this is my favourite period as an England cricketer. Just being around this group, the way we play and how we enjoy ourselves on the field. There are no thoughts about retirement.”