Continue sledging, but don't give India another chance - Michael Vaughan's advice to James Anderson
Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes that pacer James Anderson should continue his verbal assaults and keep sledging India, but shouldn’t give them a chance to report him, and yet he should continue his aggression.
Anderson has been involved in a major spat with Ravindra Jadeja in the current series and the matter has gone as far as the ICC. Although both Jadeja and Anderson were let off, the controversy has certainly impacted India.
The 32-year-old pacer is the leading wicket-taker in this series so far, scalping 16 wickets in 3 matches at 24 and Vaughan believes he shouldn’t allow India off the hook by reducing his aggression and intensity.
“At Old Trafford I would say to Jimmy carry on but don't give India an excuse to report him again. He is winning England the series and the political tension between the teams is high so he is vulnerable if he blows his top again and gets involved in a needless spat,” Vaughan said.
The former skipper however pressed on drawing a line on the field.
“When you hear comments like Michael Clarke's to James Anderson in Brisbane last year or Jimmy calling MS Dhoni a "fat c---" then the umpires have to step in. Jimmy will know he was wrong and he will not want his name linked with those kind of words. He has young children and he will not want them reading those comments in years to come.”
With the likes of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and opener Shikhar Dhawan struggling to face the duo of Anderson and Broad, Vaughan advised England’s leader of pace attack to keep going at the Indian batsmen and not back off from giving them a piece of their mind.
“Dhoni will be reminded his technique is all over the place when facing Jimmy. England have Shikhar Dhawan on toast and as soon as he comes in, the slip cordon will be reminding him of his technical problems. Fast bowlers use this as a mechanism for getting up for the challenge and the fight and as long as it does not become personal abuse, I have no problem with it,” Vaughan said.