James Anderson takes to 'virtual' training amid coronavirus pandemic

James Anderson is determined to maintain his fitness amid the coronavirus pandemic

By AFP
March 27, 2020
Photo: AFP

In a bid to prolong his career, England bowler James Anderson is keeping fit by partaking in "virtual" training sessions with his teammates as the world is locked down amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Anderson, 37, whose 584 Test wickets are the most taken by any paceman in the history of the game, is nearing the end of his playing days.

But the Lancashire veteran says despite having no cricket to play until the end of May at the earliest, the idea of not bowling professionally again has not crossed his mind.

"I've not actually thought about never playing cricket again," he said during a conference call on Thursday. "I feel like we will play again and I will play again at some stage.

"I'm still hungry to play, I've still got ambitions to play for England.

"So I think the fact I've been able to do this for a long time and I get to play a sport as a job means when I do get to do that again, I'm really going to cherish it and enjoy every single moment of it."

With Britain under a coronavirus lockdown, Anderson is keeping fit by working out on-line with teammates including fellow pacemen Stuart Broad and Mark Wood.

"A few of the lads are training together virtually," he said. "I did a workout with Stuart Broad and Mark Wood yesterday.

"We've all got Pelotons -- the bikes. You can compete against each other. Stuart came out on top this time, with me a close second and Mark Wood in third."

Anderson made the most recent of his 151 Test appearances against South Africa in Cape Town in January before a broken rib ended his tour prematurely.

That followed an Ashes campaign last year in which he bowled just four overs because of a calf problem.


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