Anderson happy to be target

Seamer confident in spearhead role

Last updated: 24th November 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Anderson happy to be target

Anderson: confident

I like the fact that they're saying they feel the need to get under my skin to affect me. They can try if they want. Being the leader of the attack, they may want to target me a bit more.

James Anderson
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James Anderson is delighted that the South African batsmen are reported to be targeting him as England's attack-leader.

Asked whether he worries about the home batsmen trying to unsettle him, the Lancashire seamer said: "I like the fact that they're saying they feel the need to get under my skin to affect me.

"They can try if they want. Being the leader of the attack, they may want to target me a bit more.

"Maybe they think if they can get to me they can get to the rest of the bowlers.

"But I don't really get affected by stuff like that. I think it's something I can deal with.

"I don't think it will happen."

Anderson, preparing to return in Friday's day-nighter at Newlands to the scene of his man-of-the-match performance against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, is equally unfazed by his status as England's senior bowler.

"I see myself as the leader of the attack," he added. "I enjoy the responsibility of it and I've got the most caps among the bowling unit.

"I enjoy fielding at mid-off, so I can chat to the bowler and offer ideas or advice if I feel it's necessary.

"It's good to be able to chat to other people and help them out."

Experience

His knowledge is all the more valuable in a bowling unit with an evident lack of international experience, especially with seamer Stuart Broad and off-spinner Graeme Swann still out injured.

"Caps-wise, we've got a really inexperienced attack - with Broady injured and Swanny out as well," said Anderson.

"Although the other guys have got plenty of county experience, they are still making their way in international cricket."

Anderson has no doubt there is great potential among his younger team-mates, and cites Tim Bresnan as a prime example.

"Tim's a fantastic bowler, with a proven record in county cricket," he said.

"When he played earlier he was still quite inexperienced. But he's come back - and he bowled really well the other day - and I'm sure it's the start of something good for him."

Mentor

As for his own job as a mentor for others - Anderson has also recently said he would like to be considered as a future captain - it is clearly a task he relishes. "Communication is a massive thing for us," he explains.

"When the ball is swinging and then stops swinging, we've got to be sure we communicate that to each other.

"Then if it starts 'reversing', we've obviously got to talk about that as well - as well as individual plans for different batsmen."