Anderson dispels injury concerns ahead of Ashes series

Veteran England pacer James Anderson has dispelled concerns about an injury impacting his participation in the one-off Test against Ireland and the subsequent Ashes series against Australia. Anderson had left the field with a mild groin strain during Lancashire County Championship game last week. Though there were worries about his fitness considering the Ashes is around the corner, the fast bowler, who was named in the squad for the match against Ireland, has given an update on his injury and said there was no need for worry. The Test against Ireland will be played from June 1-4 at the Lord’s. “I’m not worried about it,” Anderson told the BBC’s Tailenders podcast. “It’s obviously not great getting injured but it’s probably the best outcome for what it is, because it’s a low-grade thing and I think in a couple of weeks I’ll be back to full fitness,” he said. “It’s frustrating because you always want to feel good and get enough bowling in before a series and you want to be fresh, so it’s now about trying to plan the best route through this summer.” The 40-year-old pacer, however, stated that it wasn’t ideal given that he needed some game time behind him ahead of the big summer. The Ireland Test begins on June 1, but although Anderson is in the squad, he does not want to rush things with the Ashes coming right after it. “I felt like I needed to play this game so it’s not ideal, but I’m not stressed about it. “I’m just taking it day by day and seeing how it goes because obviously, I don’t want to risk anything by making it worse. “I’m more confident I can get this one right [than in 2019] and give the Ashes a right good crack.” The Ashes will be contested between June 16 and July 31, with Edgbaston, Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval scheduled to host the Tests.