Hate to disappoint mate but he is already joint 5th and about to to 4th in the list of most test wickets in the history of the game.
I’m sure some people have lost the plot and forgotten how cricket works, bowers take wickets and batsmen’s score runs to win games.
Cook is one of the most prolific run scorers in the history or test cricket
Anderson is one of the most prolific wicket takers and actually about to be the most prolific quick bowler in the history of the game.
So basically all time greats by definition
And that's the end of that
There is no argument against that
Is it though?
Again, this is the statement from Soulsman to which I took exception:
"both will finish there career as in the top 5 or 10 ever in the history of the game"
I didn't say Anderson was rubbish. I said the idea that he is one of the top 10 (or five!) greatest cricketers to ever live is nonsense.
He's not as good a bowler as Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh, Steyn, Donald, Pollock, Wasim, Lillee, Hadlee, Imran, Waqar and that's ten or eleven off the top of my head. That's ten or eleven better quick bowlers without going back through "the history of the game" and just guys that I remember watching.
There is much to admire about James Anderson, including some of the things that haters use to drag him down like his incredible fitness and longevity which is remarkable for a quick bowler along with the way that he has continued to evolve and improve through his career. There aren't many that have kept on picking up new skills in the second half of their career the way Anderson has and he's absolutely a very skilful and intelligent bowler.
He's just not one of the top 10 quicks to ever play the game and you can point to the wickets column all you like but it doesn't change that. Unless you're also going to tell me that Zaheer Khan is better than Joel Garner because he's got loads more wickets, five-fers and ten wickets in a match which Big Bird never did?
(I'm going to whisper this but Darren Gough was better than Anderson as well)
Cook's still a bloody hero though and is absolutely one of the greatest.
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Topic: England Vs India Test Matches (Read 162022 times)