Anderson puts himself forward for selection on SL tour

LONDON: James Anderson has said he hopes to be fit for England’s tour of Sri Lanka next month, having returned to training following the rib injury he suffered in South Africa.

There have been suggestions that the 37-year-old would be rested from the two Sri Lanka Tests, but Anderson indicated that he would make himself available and leave the decision up to the selectors.

Anderson played the first two Tests in South Africa, his first cricket in almost five months having broken down during the Ashes with a calf strain.He claimed 5 for 40 in the first innings in Cape Town - a record-breaking 28th five-wicket haul for England - as England levelled the series, but was then ruled out of the rest of the tour.

“It’s all healed, I’ve been training for a few weeks now, getting my bowling back up to speed and I feel really good,” he told Sky Sports.“It was frustrating when it happened, it was a bit of a freak incident, but thankfully now it’s all healed and I feel much better.

“That’s the aim, to try and get fit for whatever’s next - at the moment that’s Sri Lanka. It’s hard to prove your fitness in the indoor school at Old Trafford. With a broken bone, you’re waiting for that to heal. I’ve not lost any fitness, it’s just about building my bowling back up now, still got a month before that tour, so we’ll just have to wait and see what the selectors think.”

England’s leading Test wicket-taker, Anderson has repeatedly said he hopes to play on for as long as his body will allow.He admitted “there’s always that element of doubt in your mind” about his comeback in Centurion, having pulled up during the Edgbaston Test in August after just four overs. But said his confidence quickly returned in South Africa, where he felt as “strong and quick as I have for a long time” after lengthening his run-up during injury rehab.

“I felt like in Cape Town I hit my straps,” he said. “I was bowling as well as I ever had, feeling in as good a conditions as I ever have. [Even when you’ve] been after playing for all these years it’s still nice to know you’ve got something to offer and being able to get five wickets away from home was special.

“I felt like I was in really good rhythm, strong and as quick as I have been for a long time. I’ve lengthened my run up a bit, to help with my calf issues. I’ve kept the same mark but gone about five or six seven yards back, and that allows me to gradually build up momentum rather than trying to set off too quick.”