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Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that James Anderson’s selection for the fourth Ashes Test at Emirates Old Trafford could have cost England the match and the series. He said that Anderson had no impact in the series and that his selection was purely emotional.
Anderson returned to his home ground after being rested from the team in the last match England won at Headingley. He took the new ball from the James Anderson end and returned to the match with figures of 1 for 81 in 37 overs, despite not conceding too many runs. Anderson has taken four wickets in the three matches he has played so far at an average of 76.75. He has not won any Ashes series since 2015.
“We all agreed that James Anderson deserved this emotional selection because he is a legend of the game, but it could cost England,” Vaughan told the BBC’s Ashes Daily podcast.
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Vaughan also pointed out that young pacer Josh Tongue, who made an impact in the one game he played, could have been a better choice than Anderson.
Vaughan also observed that Anderson lacked the same “zip” as before and noted that Chris Woakes found more movement at the same pace. He expressed concern over Anderson’s performance and suggested that England may need to consider other options for their future matches.
“Jimmy hasn’t made an impact in the three Tests he’s played in this series. I don’t remember him getting a significant wicket at any stage and that’s completely different from Jimmy Anderson.
On Anderson’s possible retirement, Vaughan said the fast bowler deserves to go out on his own terms and should continue playing without making any public announcement.
“Robert Key (England managing director) will deal with it very professionally. I don’t think he’s the sort of guy who will go up to Jimmy and say, ‘Oh, by the way, you’re not going to get another contract.’ I think if Jimmy Anderson wants to move on, England will act in a way that allows (him) to move on,” Vaughan said.
