"He Will Have Big Job Helping This Next England Seam Attack Develop" - Ian Bell On James Anderson

Former England cricketer Ian Bell believes that veteran pacer James Anderson plays a crucial role in developing the next generation of England’s seam attack. Ian Bell emphasised that the Ben Stokes-led team will require Anderson’s experience in their upcoming tour of India.

Stuart Broad recently announced his retirement after the conclusion of the Ashes 2023 series. However, James Anderson said that he doesn’t have intentions to step down from Test cricket, highlighting that he would make himself available for the five-match series against India.

James Anderson Will Have Big Job – Ian Bell

In a discussion with Betfair, Ian Bell highlighted that Stuart’s retirement doesn’t necessarily indicate that James Anderson will also retire in the near future.

“One player England don’t need to worry about losing just yet is James Anderson. Just because Stuart has retired doesn’t make him more likely to follow suit in my opinion,” said Bell.

“England will need his experience in India, not to mention that reliability to bowl dry. He will have big job helping this next England seam attack develop,” he added.

James Anderson struggled to pick wickets in the 2023 Ashes series, despite playing four out of five games. He only took five wickets with a disappointing average of 85.40.

In India They Will Need To Be Smart – Ian Bell

The former England batter advised the Ben Stokes-led team to employ a smart approach when using their ‘Bazball’ strategy against quality Indian spinners on turning tracks.

“As Ben Stokes said in the press conference the other day, he’s been asked whether Bazball would work against Pakistan, South Africa, Australia. So, yes, it will be used in India,” he further added.

“But it will be an adapted Bazball. That’s what was so good about the Ashes. England showed they could learn and adapt as the series went on. In India they will need to be smart,” he concluded.

The England team adopted the Bazball approach under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. They played with an aggressive approach throughout the Ashes series and managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Australia.