James Anderson hopes to comeback "stronger" after latest injury blow

Anderson eyes comeback with Sri Lanka tour in March.

Anderson enjoyed great outing in the second Test | Getty Images

Veteran England fast bowler James Anderson on Friday (January 17) said he is confident of making a stronger comeback to the Test arena after the latest injury that ruled him out of the ongoing South Africa tour last week.

The 37-year-old broke a rib during the second Test in Cape Town last week which forced him to miss the rest of the ongoing four-match Test series in South Africa. It was only Anderson’s second outing since his return after five months out with a calf injury.

Following the latest injury, many believe that it would be tough for him to make an easy comeback to the Test arena, but the Englishman has the full confidence of his stronger return for the side.

The veteran pacer hopes that the broken rib will be healed in three or four weeks and will be able to make it to the England squad for the Sri Lanka tour in March.

Read Also: ECB confirms Jofra Archer will stay in South Africa despite elbow injury

Anderson said on the Tailenders podcast, “A broken rib will hopefully be healed in three or four weeks. Once the bone has healed, I can get straight back into it.”

He continued, “I know a lot does get talked about as you get older, but it's more knowing within yourself. I thought I could still do it, but you don't know unless you do it on the field. That will help me through the next few weeks, knowing that I want to come back stronger and still play a part in this England side. I'm not ruling out being fit for the Sri Lanka trip.”

Meanwhile, the Lancashire man was seen in discomfort in the Cape Town Test and he revealed: “I was in the most pain I've ever been in on a cricket field. I couldn't pull through properly. It was hurting every time I bowled, so I knew there was something not right.”

He further explained, “I was saying to Stuart Broad 'I think there's something really wrong here'. I thought I'd ripped a muscle off the rib, so a broken rib isn't the worst outcome. A torn muscle would be anywhere from two, three or four months.”

Anderson signed off by saying, “The first question the physio asked was if I had been hit - in the nets or landing on it fielding. I'd have remembered if I'd been hit. They think it is through the constant force of my bowling. The muscles were strong enough, but the bone wasn't.”

(With BBC Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 17 Jan, 2020

    Share Via