"If we had an injury, I would honestly have tried to call up Jimmy Anderson" - Moeen Ali on James Anderson's white-ball aspirations
Birmingham Phoenix skipper Moeen Ali admitted that veteran pacer James Anderson was one of the candidates he had considered should he face an injury in the bowling department during the ongoing 2024 Hundred season. The campaign has aided swing bowling like no other, with pacers making the most of the new ball.
Anderson, one of the pioneers of swing bowling, recently admitted that he is considering making a return to white-ball cricket after watching the ball move around in The Hundred. His last T20 fixture came back in 2014 for Lancashire, and now with his national duties out of the way, he can consider a return should his experience and skill be in demand.
Moeen Ali has benefitted from having a prolific seam attack of Tim Southee, Sean Abbott, and Adam Milne in his side, all capable of making the new ball talk. Southee is the third-leading wicket-taker in the competition with 14 wickets in eight matches, having recently picked up a five-wicket haul after wreaking havoc with the new ball.
"Last year we had Woakesy and these guys, they bowled outstandingly well. You want that Test bowler, who can hit a length, swing the ball. If we had an injury, I would honestly have tried to call up Jimmy Anderson, because he would have been awesome. They've been swinging it every game. If we had an injury, I have been talking about it," Moeen Ali said after Birmimgham Phoenix qualified for the Eliminator clash.
"I would've tried to get Jimmy to play. Other teams would do the same. He would be amazing in this format, the way the balls are swinging. Who is better than him, when it's swinging? We had Woody to cover him, but if one of our bowlers went down...! I'm not sure if it's still possible. On Woody, he is a great guy but his experience...you can't beat it. He brings a lot to the team," he added.
Anderson is currently serving as a mentor to the Test team following his international retirement. There is no clarity as to how long the role will last, which leaves him open for future playing commitments.
"I think we have a good balance side and guys are playing well" - Moeen Ali
The Birmingham Phoenix are among the most in-form sides in the competition after winning four matches in a row to finish in third place at the end of the league phase.
"We've been playing outstanding. We lost to two of the top sides - we lost the first because I batted first! We should've beaten Brave over here but they bowled really well, so it'd be nice to beat them next game. They and Oval are very good teams, they're both playing very well. The three best sides went through. I think we have a good balance side and guys are playing well," Ali said.
Birmingham Phoenix will face the Southern Brave in the Eliminator clash at The Oval on Saturday, August 17. Defending champions Oval Invincibles have progressed into the final on the back of a superior net run rate.