England captain Ben Stokes has no doubts over James Anderson holding his place in an unchanged facet for this week’s Ashes finale, hailing the veteran seamer as “the greatest fast bowler to play the game”. The hosts are bidding to finish the sequence all sq. at 2-2 in a fifth Test at The Oval beginning Thursday, with Australia having already retained the Ashes at 2-1 up following final week’s rain-marred draw at Old Trafford. Anderson, 41 on Sunday, has taken simply 4 wickets in three matches this sequence at a pricey common of 76.75 apiece.

But Anderson, whose 689 Test wickets are probably the most taken by any quick bowler, insisted in a current newspaper column he has no intention of retiring any time quickly and plans to proceed an England profession that already spans 20 years.

Stokes, with England having missed the claims of Ollie Robinson and rising star Josh Tongue, was very happy to have Anderson in his facet.

“James Anderson is the greatest fast bowler to play the game and he’s still looking as good as he was two years ago,” mentioned Stokes at The Oval on Wednesday.

“Although he’s not had the impact or the wickets he would have liked to in this series, he’s a quality bowler and quality performer. To have nearly 700 Test wickets is phenomenal, and to be able to do it all around the world as well.”

‘Amazing’ Broad

Stokes additionally paid tribute to Stuart Broad, Anderson’s longstanding new-ball colleague.

The Nottinghamshire seamer is the main bowler within the Ashes with 18 wickets and is about to look in his sixth Test in a row this season, having featured within the off-match in opposition to Ireland at Lord’s.

“At 37 years old it’s testament to the work and effort he puts in,” mentioned Stokes.

“It’s amazing. It was always going to be hard for one bowler to play every game this series but he’s been incredible for us. He’s been very good at coming on with the ball and changing the game.”

Stokes admitted to feeling deflated following the Old Trafford washout, after England dominated the sport, however insisted morale wouldn’t be a problem at The Oval.

“Leaving Manchester…I’ve never left a field, a game pretty emotionless. It was a bizarre feeling, the game petered out the way it did because of the weather.

“It was a reasonably flat feeling however we have removed these feelings and we’re prepared for this week.”

Much has been made this series of England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach to Test cricket. But Stokes insisted other teams didn’t have to follow England’s lead.

“It’s not honest of me to say that is how each workforce needs to be enjoying or eager about it,” he said. “Every workforce has their very own approach of operation, groups discover a approach that most accurately fits the people they’ve of their workforce.”

He added: “The cricket we play most accurately fits the people we’ve got on this workforce.”

As for the broader future of Test cricket, amid the growth of Twenty20 franchise leagues, Stokes said: “Test cricket simply wants to remain…I believe there’s a world the place T20 and Test cricket can stay facet by facet.

“T20 cricket has obviously helped Test cricket in terms of some of the play you see in the modern era, because without T20 you wouldn’t see some of the shots and the players coming through.”

England workforce for fifth Test:  Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Moeen Ali, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Chris Woakes, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad, James Anderson

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