New Delhi, Oct 26 Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer believes there was no better bowler on view than James Anderson when the ball swung and said the retired England pacer should be honoured with a stand at Old Trafford, his home ground.
Anderson and Lancashire severed their 25-year-old association recently after his boyhood county confirmed that they will not offer a new deal to the 44-year-old cricketer.
“Lancashire have had a few great opening bowlers over the years — the great Brian Statham, Peter Lever, Ken Higgs, Wasim Akram, you could go on and on. But Jimmy Anderson takes the cake when swing and seam conditions are available,” Engineer told PTI.
Engineer too had a long stint with Lancashire between 1968 and 1976, scoring 5942 runs from 175 matches.
He also has 429 catches and 35 stampings in his account for the county.
“There’s no one better than Jimmy Anderson in the world. He can swing the ball either way, and he has so much control over the ball,” he added.
The 88-year-old remembered a conversation he had with Anderson when the latter was omitted from England’s tour of the West Indies in 2022 following a 0-4 mauling by Australia
“A few years ago, he was dropped from the England team, and he was sitting next to me at (Andrew) Freddie Flintoff’s child’s ceremony. He was so dejected. I told him: ‘Jimmy, you’re the best swing bowler in the world, the best swing bowler I have seen. So don’t be dejected. I’m sure you’ll come back great.
“What a comeback it was. He completed 700 wickets in Test cricket. No other English bowler, in fact, no other pace bowler has kept himself fit at the age of 44, 45. So, I think it’s time that he called it a day. The way things went about it, you know, he didn’t appreciate it,” said.
Anderson retired from international cricket last year with 704 wickets from 188 Tests. His final Test was against the West Indies at the Lord’s in July, 2024.
Engineer, who was honoured with a stand named after him at the Old Trafford last year, said Anderson should be commemorated suitably by Lancashire for his yeoman service to the Red Roses.
“What Lancashire should do, I mean, at the iconic Old Trafford ground, there’s a stand named after Clive Lloyd, there’s a stand named after me. Now, the third stand should be called the Jimmy Anderson stand.
“He already has a Jimmy’s bar. We all have suites in the Hilton Hotel — Farokh Engineer Suite, Clive Lloyd Suite.
“Anderson should have a stand in his name as well. I’m sure the day is not far when Lancashire will do that. So, here’s signing off, it’s Farokh Engineer, all the very best,” he added.
(PTI News)
