"I kept it hidden for a long time"- James Anderson reveals why he didn't bowl inswingers in the early part of his career
James Anderson is regarded as the modern-day 'King of Swing' given his ability to move the ball both ways with minimal changes in wrist and seam position.
However, that was never always the case with the fast bowler, as Anderson revealed that it took him close to five years to master the art of inswing.
Given his lack of control over the inswingers and with "intimidating captains" around, James Anderson divulged that he kept his inswinging deliveries hidden for a long time.
"The inswinger took probably the best part of five years to get to where I felt confident to bowl it in a Test match. It took so much practice to get that right. Certainly in the early part of my career, I had some quite intimidating captains! And I didn't want to let them down by bowling a bad inswinger down the legside, so I kept it hidden for a long time," Anderson remarked in a chat on Sky Sports with former skipper Nasser Hussain.
The 38-year-old has now mastered the art of swing bowling and is comfortable trying out various things on the field.
"Fortunately now, having put that work in, I really enjoy playing around with my skills when I'm out in the middle."
"Alastair Cook rang me last night to congratulate me" - James Anderson
James Anderson overtook Alastair Cook to become the English player with the most appearances in Test cricket. The fast bowler is currently in action at Edgbaston in the second Test against New Zealand.
Anderson said Alastair Cook congratulated him on his achievement last night.
"He rang me last night to congratulate me. It's incredible to go past someone like him, who I look up to so much and have so much respect for. We've been close mates for many years and it's just a shame he's not here to share the experience with."
When asked about how long he can keep going, the bowler said he still enjoys the rigors and hard work behind the scenes of Test cricket and is not playing just for the "pretty stuff."
James Anderson added that he was happy to carry on as long as his body holds up and he keeps on enjoying his cricket.