James Anderson admits altering of pitches helped England in Ashes

Anderson has nothing to hide

England pace bowler James Anderson has said the England Cricket Board (ECB) doctored the pitches during the Ashes series which they won 3-2, reports The Hindu. He also added that ECB should feel no shame about it more often in the future.

The English players were denied by the victory for years because of the dusty wickets. After losing the second Test at Lords cricket ground, suddenly remaining Test matches conditions were changed. Everything happened after coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Alastair Cook requested for it.

"I think there's certainly an element where we should have done it more in the past (and) we should do it more in the future," Anderson said.

The 33-year-old bowler accused Australia and India doctoring pitches to get home advantages.

"When we go to Australia, they prepare the pitches to suit their team. When we go to India, the same thing happens. A big deal was made of it in our conditions here (that) we were telling the groundsmen to do this and that," the right-arm pacer said.

Anderson said it is no crime or anything to be ashamed off, every country prepare pitches which favour the hosts.

"I'm sure they offered an opinion but it wasn't a case that we were saying 'you have to do this' or 'you have to prepare that'." the Englishman said "At the same time, even if we did, everyone else in the whole world prepares pitches to give them home advantage and I don't see why it should be any different here."

England’s chief destroyers with the ball were Stuart Broad and Anderson. Wherein Broad was the leading wicket-taker of the series with 21 wickets in five matches, Anderson bowed out after his injury in the middle of the third Test but his work was done as he damaged Australia enough by taking 10 wickets in first three Tests.