James Anderson celebrates taking the final Indian wicket at The Oval.
England pace spearhead and newly crowned pacer with the highest number of Test wickets in the history of the game, James Anderson has said that Glenn McGrath, whose record haul he surpassed at The Oval, was a much better bowler than him.
In a column that Jimmy wrote for Fox Sports, he gladly states that he was in awe of McGrath's attitude and the varied skillset the Australian had and believes that the latter had everything when it comes to fast bowling.
"I’ll tell you something about Glenn McGrath — he was a much better bowler than me. This is not false modesty. I may have gone past his wicket tally but I honestly believe McGrath’s bounce, relentless accuracy, aggression and ability to move the ball made him superior. He had everything. And it is not a random, top-of-the-head assessment, either. I’ve been studying all of the great fast bowlers since I was about eight years old," Anderson wrote in his column for Fox Sports.
Anderson also shared his opinion on one of the greatest debates in modern cricket - James Anderson vs Dale Steyn. While the Englishman has had the fortune to play more than 140 Tests, the Protea legend on the other has only played 88 Tests in a career increasingly plagued by injuries. Cricket fans can always be seen getting polarised in favour of one or the other when it comes to choosing between the two greats.
Jimmy, though cleared the air on what he thinks on the debate by stating that Steyn too is better than him.
"Of the modern era, I’d happily tip my hat towards Dale Steyn. With his express pace, control and swing, he’s better than me, too," said the 564-Test wickets holder.
